A chance to make things right
by CherryblossomFire21
Summary: Sakura gets thrown back into the past. Faced with a blonde that occupies her thoughts more then she would like what's a girl to do? With the Third Shinobi WorldWar raging she's faced with one hardship after another. And she thought she would only be a part of one war in her life...
1. Chapter 1

Thanks to everyone who even bothered to look at this story it means a lot! This is a Sakura Minato pairing. I wanted to post a story for this pairing because Minato hints that Sakura was like his wife in the shippuden and I thought that I could write a good story for this pairing. Reviews are greatly appreciated! I do not own Naruto all rights go to Maasashi Kishimoto!

She was falling that much she knew. Her thigh length pink hair floated above her mixing in with the endless white that surrounded her. It was peaceful she decided, so much better then the blood soaked world where her friends and loved ones died one after another. Her eyes closed as a bittersweet smile graced her lips. It was finally over. Her twenty years in this world had been filled with more blood then anyone should have to witness. A flash of yellow and orange crossed her mind making her smile even wider.

"Naruto..." She whispered to herself as she slowly brought a hand to where the reaper death seal lay underneath her flak jacket. A bitter reminder of everything the future would never have... Transclusent tears flowed from her eyes and intermingled with the endless abyss around her. At least Kurama and her would be able to see Naruto again soon...

"Not yet... You have far too much to do Sakura... The past is now your future... Make the best of it..." A soft resounding voice sounded from all around her. The abyss lit up and became unbearably bright before everything went black.

An annoying beeping resounded in her ears causing her to curse internally. She groaned softly before she slowly opened her eyes. The ceiling above her was a bright white and she wondered if she was still stuck in the nothingness that she last remembered. No that couldn't be it... That place was unearthly quiet except for the voice that spoke to her at the end. The strange voice instantly became the least important thing to her when she noticed another prescense in the room.

Seafoam green eyes shot up to meet electric blue and she had to stifle a gasp. "Naruto...?" She whispered hopefully. Her hope died in her chest as she gazed at the man closer. The man in front of her had the same striking blonde hair and blue eyes as Naruto, but his face was more attractive and lacked the whisker marks.

The Naruto look a like studied her intently for another moment before he opened his mouth to speak. "My name is Minato. I found you injured outside of the village gates so I brought you back here." He paused to let his words sink in, and gauge her reaction to this.

Sakura had to push away the blush that lit up her face at his smooth voice. With a single look and a few words he had reduced her to a puddle of mush. It was embarassing really... After all the training she had gone through as Tsunade's apprentice she still had difficulty controlling her hormones. "Oh... Thank you for your help. But where exactly is here?" She questioned curiously. All of the shinobi nations were in ruins so there were very few places for survivors to go. 'And definitely nowhere this peaceful and quiet...' Inner Sakura whispered brokenly. The look on Minato's face was almost priceless. He looked completely put off by her question. "What?" Sakura whispered somewhat annoyed.

"You mean you don't know where we are? But you are wearing a Leaf headband... Surely you recognize your home village?" He trailed off quietly. Sarutobi had reassured him that this girl was no enemy of theirs and he trusted the Third's judgement. But it was entirely possible that this girl had stolen a Leaf flak jacket, and headband as a means to infiltrate the village. And seeing as how she looked absolutely stumped at the revelation that she was indeed in Konoha, something was definitely off...

Sakura's eyes hardened as a cold look overtook her beautiful features. "The Leaf village was destroyed by Madara two years ago... There is no home for people like me anymore... There is only blood and battle. Like it has always been since the Fourth Shinobi World War started." Her eyes were steady on him like she was trying to figure out what world he was living in.

He felt his heart break at the pain he heard in her voice. Nothing she was saying made any sense to him... The Third Shinobi World War was in full swing yet this woman was speaking of a Fourth war? Where was she from? No the better question was when was she from? "We are in the middle of the Third Shinobi world war... Are you sure you are alright?" He asked her gently. He continued to watch her intently as she warred with her thoughts. Her long pink hair pooled around her thighs on the hospital bed engulfing her slender frame. His eyes came up to look directly at her eyes while she was distracted. Her sea green orbs were clouded over with despair but they were still beautiful. Blue eyes traveled up to rest on the blue diamond on her forehead. This woman had to have been the most beautiful woman he had ever seen before. He cursed himself silently for thinking like that but he couldn't help it. Her soft voice immediately snapped him out of his thoughts.

"You can't be right... I was just in the middle of the battlefield... There's no way you're telling me the truth!" The blankets flew up in a flurry of white as Sakura threw herself up from the bed. "Where's Tsunade shishou?! She has to know what's going on here!" She demanded angrily as she went to take a step forward only to trip over her weakened legs. She braced herself for impact as she started to fall. 'Well at least the floor can't make my face look any worse...' She thought absently as she waited to hit the cold stone floor. A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her shoulders to stop her from falling. Her green eyes snapped open and locked with the deep blue eyes of Minato. 'It was Minato... Right?' Inner Sakura piped in quietly.

"Careful... You were in pretty rough shape when I found you. You need to rest." Minato said as he attempted to help her back into her bed. She struggled the whole way in a desperate attempt to free herself from him.

"Let me go! I need to find Tsunade Shishou!" Sakura shouted as she fought to free herself. Mister tall light and godlike would not let her go and it was starting to piss her off. If he didn't let her go she was going to punch him through the wall!

"Tsunade hasn't been in the village in months! No one even knows where she is! Now will you please lay down so that your wounds can heal properly?!" Minato said raising his voice slightly at the stubborn kunoichi who was giving him a run for his money. He could barely hold onto the fiery pinkette. He shuddered to think of how strong she was when she wasn't injured.

Sakura stopped short and glared at the man in front of her. She opted to show him who he was talking to with skill not words. She brought her hands up to make the necesary handsigns for the mystical palm technique. Her hands began to glow a bright green as she brought them to her chest. The various injuries instantly healed up in seconds under her extremely competent medical abilities. She subtly brought her eyes up to lock on the blonde whose mouth was slightly agape. A cocky smirk graced her lips as the healing chakra faded from her hands completely. "I am the successor of Tsunade Senju. You would be hard pressed to find a better medic then me anywhere!" She stated arrogantly. If there was one thing she was confident in, it was her healing powers. That truly was the only thing about herself that she believed to be satisfactory. Pushing those thoughts away from her mind she focused on the task at hand. "Now take me to the hokage." It felt wrong to not adress Tsunade as the Hokage, but obviously this guy was too slow to get that Tsunade was in fact the hokage as she had been for eight years.

Minato's jaw snapped shut after she demanded to see the Hokage. He could see that she would not be dissuaded though. He guessed he really had no choice in the matter... "Maybe you should get dressed in suitable clothes first..." He said cheekily as he trailed his eyes over her body that was covered in the loose hospital gown.

Sakura followed his gaze down to her large chest and her cheeks flared up in fury. "YOU PERVERT!" She shrieked as she grabbed a vase from the nearby table and chucked it at him. "GET OUT BEFORE I GUT YOU!" She shrieked again as he dove out of the way of the projectiles she was throwing his way.

"Okay! Okay!" He laughed as he turned to make his way to the door. A mischievious smile lit up his face as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Nice body pinky." He said easily as she continued to glare daggers at him. A split second later and he was flying down the hospital hallway outside of her room. He didn't mind it though as he peeled himself off of the ground. She looked even more beautiful when she was mad.

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared at the pinkette in front of him as she stared back with her jaw touching the floor. He had known that she would come... The Seeress had told him that a young woman with pink hair would come from the future to change the path of the future for the better. He hadn't known whether to believe the old woman or not... Well he hadn't until Minato had rushed into the village with the pinkette in his arms. He had taken one look at her, and he had known it was the girl from the future. She had been completely ravaged by injuries so it was a surprise that she was standing before him completely healed. "What is your name and rank?" He prompted her gently. He watched as her mouth opened and shut several times but nothing came out.

"You... You're dead... How can this be? You died during the Chunin exam finals..." Sakura whispered more to herself then to him, or Minato who was standing off to the side.

"No I am still very much alive... And you still did not answer my question." He would be as patient as he could be for her. But he still needed to know everything about her if she was to help change the future.

"Sakura... Sakura Haruno... I'm a jonin, and the head of the Shinobi Alliance medical unit." She finished quietly as she continued to stare at him.

"Sakura..." He stared at her intently as he processed her words. She could be just the edge that their medical staff needed. After Tsunade left the village the hospital had been thrown into chaos without someone to lead it. If what she was saying was true then maybe she could turn the hospital around for the better. "Sakura I know that you must be very confused about what is going on, but I assure you that you are meant to be here." Sakura's eyes came up to meet his head on and he could see the desolation in her gaze. She looked like a woman that was lost in a world she did not know... And to some extent that was true... But this was still Konoha the Village where she was born and raised. It was just a different time period. What she was too shocked to understand at this point was the fact that she could alter the future for the better. It was obvious from her state of body and mind that the world she came from must be even worse then the one they were in now. His eyes filled with resolve as he stared her down. "I will explain everything to you later Sakura. But for now I need to ask you for your help."

"Help? What do you need me to do?" She asked as she stared him down. 'What could he possibly need us for?' Inner Sakura piped in from the depths of her mind again. "Quiet Inner!" Sakura chastied as she squared her shoulders to adress the man in front of her. "I will do anything you ask of me Hokage-sama!" She adressed him with the utmost respect. She was still a kunoichi of the Leaf, and she would be damned if she let the future repeat itself again! 'This time Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi sensei are going to live happy lives!' She promised herself. She would make a better world for her precious people one step at a time.

Hiruzen felt a sense of pride as he gazed at the determined kunoichi in front of him. Her eyes were now filled with a fire that was intense enough to scare even the most hardened war veterans. "We need to reorganize the hospital. I would like you to take over the position of head medic. No one will argue about it too much... No one wants to take on the burden of organizing everything so that it is running efficiently. And when the time comes we may need you to go out of the village for missions. But for now that will be secondary to your main mission, which is to get the hospital up and running. Can you handle that?" He asked already knowing how she would respond. She really was a lot like Tsunade... Maybe they had a relationship of some kind...?

"Yes of course! You can count on me!" Sakura agreed readily to his request. In times of war the medical nin were important whether they were on the field, or tending to the wounded in their own villages. She would be damned if the hospital was not running as efficiently as it should!

He smiled as he gestured Minato to step forward. "Now as for the matter of your housing..." He trailed off dramatically. "You can stay in Minato's spare room. I'm sure he won't mind!" He looked to the blonde who was beaming cheekily at the pinkette who did not look so happy.

"WHAT?! I HAVE TO STAY WITH THIS PERVERT!?" She shrieked as she yanked on her hair. Sakura attempted to glare as best she could at the blonde... But she actually didn't mind the arrangement as long as he respected her boundaries. And of course what girl would argue with having such a hot roomate? "As long as you respect me then I guess it will have to be okay..." Of course she wasn't going to let him know she was somewhat pleased.

"Of course I will Sakura... You don't need to know that I ogle you through a secret hole in the shower wall..." He bit his lip as he watched her cheeks flush bright red in embarassment, and anger.

"PERVERT!" Sakura screamed as she launched herself at him. It was official... He didn't have long for this world...

R&R AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKED THE FIRST CHAPTER! 


	2. Chapter 2

A thank you to everyone who reviewed it means a lot to me! I wanted to go ahead and answer a few questions and concerns that you all gave me in your reviews! First of all Sakura is the nine tails jinchuriiki in this story. Naruto died in the future due to extraction and he entrusted Kurama to Sakura. This changed the timeline of the past so Kushina is not the jinchuriiki in this story she's just a fellow Konoha shinobi. As for the rate of which they will get together, I will try and prolong it so that it seems realistic for you guys! I was also wondering if anyone could help me with a few signature jutsu for Sakura to use in this story. Msg me if you would like to help out with that! On with the story! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! :(

Sakura grimaced at the ground as she and Minato walked through the village to his apartment. She could not believe the situation she was currently in! What were the odds of being thrown back in time for no apparent reason? Well at least to her it didn't really seem to add up!

'Why dwell on it? Might as well make the best of it...' Inner Sakura's voice echoed from the recesses of her mind. She missed the days when Inner would burst out and yell whatever she was feeling to the world... After the war had turned in the enemy's favor Inner had changed drastically. Seeing so many of their precious people die had broken both of them. It was almost like they were the exact opposites from who they were meant to be. She sighed deeply as she glanced at the sun god from the corner of her eye. Her eyes subtly ran over his body from head to toe drinking him in.

"Enjoying the view Sakura?" Minato joked as he turned to give her his full attention. Sure she had been trying to be subtle about it. But he was Konoha's Yellow Flash. It would be hard for him to miss anything of importance to him. Her ogling just happened to be of significant importance to him... He was glad that she thought he was good enough to stare at. The feeling was definitely mutual.

Surprise lit up her eyes and she quickly diverted them to the ground. "Of course not! You just remind me of someone I knew from my childhood!" She huffed indignantly. It was a half truth. She was staring at him because he was insanely attractive. But also because he reminded her so much of Naruto... Just thinking his name reminded her of all the good times they had gone through together... Training together, fighting together, eating together... There was little that they did not do together... She fought back tears as she forced her mind away from those painful thoughts. It was a struggle for her to remain composed in front of her new companion, but she managed to keep a straight face.

He could see the way her eyes dulled with obvious pain and it made something in his chest clench painfully. What had she been through to make her this way? Who had she lost in her life? The better question seemed to be, what hadn't she lost? He wanted to reach out and comfort her and it confused him. They had technically just met today so it was odd for him to want to be so close to her. Even so, he felt like he had to do something for her... He opened his mouth to comfort her but he didn't get the chance to.

"Minato Sensei!" A young girl with short brown hair ran up to the pair, two young boys followed close behind. "Sensei you were supposed to meet us at the training grounds an hour ago!" She chastied him for his tardiness.

Sakura studied the girl closely as she half heartedly lectured Minato. Her brown hair ended at her shoulders and her eyes were a rich brown. She had purple markings and bandaids on her cheeks. The way she carried herself reminded Sakura of her genin days. It was obvious to Sakura that this girl knew she was the weak link on her team. She could safely say this because she had known the exact same thing to be true about herself when she was a genin. Her focus appeared to be on the girl who had yet to notice her, but she surveyed the other two boys discreetly as well. One was obviously an Uchiha with the dark raven hair, and onyx eyes. He wore his headband on his forehead with goggles over his eyes. Something about him instantly reminded her of Naruto but she couldn't figure out what. Her eyes then trailed over to take in the last member of the team and she almost did a double take. It was Kakashi sensei! It had to be! No one else had that whacky hairdo mask thing going! Well at least she knew it was something he did in all walks of his life...

"SENSEI WHO'S THE PRETTY LADY?!" The Uchiha boy screamed at the top of his lungs.

'That explains why he reminded us of Naruto...' Inner snicker quietly as Sakura struggled to keep herself from hugging the boy. She wanted to cry tears of joy as she stared this Naruto act a like down! She didn't even care that she had never even heard that saying used and it sounded stupid even to her!

"Yeah Sensei who is this?" The girl asked as she looked Sakura up and down. She looked genuinely interested in finding out who Sakura was whereas Kakashi looked like he could care less. Something about it irked Sakura to no end. She would be sure to teach little Kaka sensei a thing or two about respect!

"Rin, Obito, Kakashi I would like you all to meet Sakura Haruno. She just came back from a long term mission and she will be running the hospital." Minato explained easily. He easily caught the admiration in Rin's gaze as she stared up at the pinkette standing beside him. An idea started to formulate in his mind as he watched his student's blatant staring. Maybe Sakura could teach Rin to be a better medic! He always felt bad that he couldn't teach her much because he did not have the skillset to teach her anything particularly useful for a medic. He wasn't sure if Sakura would be willing to teach Rin, but it wouldn't hurt to ask he concluded as he continued to watch their interaction.

"Wow... You must be a great Medical Ninja to run the hospital!" Rin gushed as she stared at Sakura adoringly. Her mind brought up all of her failed attempts at learning medical ninjutsu on her own... Maybe Sakura could train her to be a better medic! "Train me in medical jutsu!" She sputtered out quickly. She didn't know where the boost of confidence had come from but she couldn't take it back now. She was desperate to be of more use to her team! She had nothing to lose by asking for help.

Sakura was taken aback at Rin's request. She wasn't expecting her to come right out and ask her for her help. It reminded her of when she had asked to be Tsunade's apprentice. She smirked as she took in the girl's determinde gaze. Yes she would make an excellent medic when Sakura was finished with her. "I'll train you Rin. But only if you promise that you won't give up no matter how hard it is! Because I will promise you one thing! I won't go easy on you!" Sakura finished sternly as she repeated the words her shishou had used so long ago...

Rin's eyes lit up with happiness and she looked like she might collapse from shock. "Oh thank you Sakura sensei! I will try my best!" She wiped the forming tears from her eyes as a large smile formed on her face.

"YEAH YOU GO RIN!" Obito screamed, once again at the top of his lungs. Sakura might've winced if she wasn't used to it from Naruto. He made his way up to stand in front of Sakura who waited expectantly for whatever outburst was coming next. And he didn't dissapoint... "WELCOME TO TEAM SEVEN!" He yelled as he threw his arms around her midsection in a hug.

"She's not a member of Team Seven. She's just training Rin. It's about time someone taught Rin something useful..." Mini Kakashi muttered the last part under his breath as he looked off to the side. It was obvious that his comment hurt Rin immensely because tears immediately filled her brown eyes and threatened to spill over.

"BASTARD! I'LL SHOW YOU HOW USELESS YOU ARE!" Obito screamed as he attempted to lunge at mini Kakashi. He barely made a move towards him when a flash of pink and green passed by him on a beeline for Kakashi.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Sakura hissed as she grabbed Kakashi by his shirt collar. "Who do you think you are?! Do you think you're some untouchable god?!" She spat out venemously as she noticed Minato take a small step forward to stop her. She sent him a glare cold enough to freeze hell itself and he stopped in his tracks. She turned her attention back to mini Kakashi again and she was literally spitting fire. "Whether I am a member of your team or not isn't important! What is important is that Rin is your teammate! You better start treating her with respect because if you don't you'll have me to deal with! And let me tell you something Ka-ka-shi... I AM WORSE THEN YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE!" She finished and dumped him unceremoniously on the ground. He glared at her, but she could see him trembling slightly. As she turned to face Rin she couldn't help but notice the slightly scared, but admiring looks on the other two males faces. "I have to get the hospital up and running so I won't be able to train you for more then a few hours a day for the next few weeks." The young girl deflated at this revelation and it almost made Sakura regret her head medic status. "You won't need constant supervision for the first few steps of your training. It should come easily enough. After you get through the initial steps I should have the hospital running smoothly. By that point I should be able to train you full time!" Sakura finished brightly. She saw so much of herself in Rin that it was like looking in a mirror. It made her truly happy that she would be able to help her become a better medic. "You know... I could help you out a little today..." Sakura said sounding excited at the prospect of training.

Rin's face lit up in absolute joy and she readily agreed. "Yes that would be great! Come on let's go to the training grounds!" She said as she turned on her heel and ran in the direction of the training grounds.

Sakura turned to face Minato smiling face. "I guess you can show me around my new home later." She said as she watched Rin from the corner of her eye. Excitement radiated from every part of her body and it filled Sakura with a sense of purpose. That girl would be one of the best medics to ever exist when she was done with her. She would make damn sure of it. Not waiting for a reply from Minato or his team, she took off after the young girl.

Minato watched her back for a moment before he followed after her. She really was turning out to be something else. For anyone to take on a person that they had just met as their own student, they must be a truly kindhearted person. "Yeah I guess soo..." He stated quietly as he followed after his team, and the pinkette.

Sakura had led them to the river that ran through the training grounds. The young ninja looked around curiously as she made her way to the river. "Ok all I need to do is catch something for you to heal!" Sakura stated matter of factly as she retrieved a kunai from her pouch only to throw it at the surface of the water with frightening speed. The kunai impacted the surface and it quickly turned red. She began reeling in the fish with the wire that had been attached to her kunai. She hefted the large fish from the water and plopped it in front of Rin. "Ok Rin heal the fish!" She said easily as she leaned back against the tree behind her.

"Umm Sakura sensei...? How is healing a fish going to teach me anything?" Rin asked uncertainly as she stared down at the scaley monstrosity. Her healing knowledge was limited so she was stumped as to what she was supposed to be learning here.

Sakura opened an eye and peered over at the confused girl. She figured that she could at least explain it to her a bit so that she could grasp it. She sat up straight and brought her hands to the fish. "A fish's body is similiar to a human body so it makes a good target for healing practice. With healing jutsu you have to be precise on the amount of chakra you pour into your patient's body. Too much will destroy the cells and cause pain. If you don't apply enough then obviously the wound won't heal. So why not practice on a fish instead of a person? That way if you make a mistake you won't hurt someone." She leaned back to resume watching Rin as she placed her chakra coated hands on the fish.

"Concentrate on the precision..." Rin huffed as she struggled to keep the proper flow of chakra going. She had better control then her teammates but it still wasn't perfect. She always tended to use too little chakra. The green light faltered almost as if to prove a point to her.

"A little more Rin..." Sakura coaxed her gently as she eyed the young medic's progress. Rin wasn't doing as well as she had expected her to. She seemed to be afraid to use too much chakra at once. Her control would definitely need some work in the near future.

Rin just nodded her head as she gently eased more chakra into her hands. She was nervous that she would completely destroy the skin cells of the fish. Her nerves caused her to pour more chakra then was necesary into her jutsu and the fish's skin started to burn. "Ahh no!" Rin groaned in sadness as she waved the smoke away so that the damage could be accessed. She had completely burned the fish's skin off. There was a print of her conjoined hands on the side of the fish.

"You need to be more sure of yourself! If you second guess the amount you will make mistakes! If you are lacking the proper amount then gradually add more in smaller increments!" Sakura scolded her as she prodded the burn marks that littered the fish's side. She had not had this problem when she started training under Tsunade. After all chakra control was something that no one could best her at... It was apparent that Rin had talent for it, but she second guessed herself and it caused her to make mistakes. "Try again and this time use the advice I gave you!" She said as she gestured for her to try again.

"Okay!" Rin said determinedly as she brought her glowing hands to the fish again. This time the flow was more stable then before. 'I have to do this!' She chanted over and over in her head. No more being left behind by her team! Finally she would be able to be of use to them! The skin under her hands slowly began to knit itself back together and she smiled in satisfaction. A pant escaped her lips as she focused her attention entirely on the precision of her chakra. It truly was tedious work to keep the amount just right. To top all of that off she did not have a large supply of chakra to begin with and she felt her reserves running low.

"Ok Rin that's enough." Sakura said as she noticed the glazed look in Rin's eyes. Chakra exhaustion was a medic's worst enemy and Rin would learn that eventually. "You don't want to run your reserves dry. It's important for a medic to know their limits. While you are resting you can read medical texts to expand your knowledge of the human body. So even when you aren't training physically you can still train yourself mentally." She said as she looked over towards Minato who was standing on the opposite side of the training grounds watching them. She could see Kakashi, and Obito sparring in the background but her eyes were locked on the blonde. "Naruto... You wouldn't believe what's happened since you died..." Sakura whispered brokenly as she turned pain filled eyes towards the sky. A broken smile graced her lips as she reminisced on the days she had spent with Naruto. Days that were filled with the exact kind of thing she was doing now... A lone tear rolled down her cheek as she pictured his smiling face in her mind. 'Why didn't I love you the way you wanted me to?' She asked herself as she remember his broken form smiling at her one last time... He had loved her enough to smile at her at the very end... 'And what did I do? Reject him at every turn... I didn't deserve to know him...' She berated herself as more tears spilled out of her eyes. She hadn't realized that her tears had drawn unwanted attention until someone nudged her shoulder. Her eyes shot down to meet Rin's brown gaze.

"Sensei are you okay?" Rin asked looking worried about her.

She hastily wiped her tears away as she struggled to plaster a smile on her face. "I'm fine Rin! I was just thinking about a friend of mine!" She hastily assured her as she plastered a fake smile on her face. She hoped it was at least believable looking. But by the look on Rin's face she knew she had failed. Not wanting to revisit the thoughts so soon she decided to tempt Rin into forgetting all about the situation. "Hey Rin do you know of any good clothing stores? I really need to get a new wardrobe if you know what I mean." She scratched the back of her head nervously. How could she have forgotten that she had no clothes?!

Before Rin got a chance to answer Minato had made his prescense known. "In need of some new clothes huh? Luckily for you I know the perfect place!" He grinned cheekily at her flushed face. He hoped his cheerfulness distracted her momentarily from whatever was causing her so much pain. Her eyes widened in realization as she stared at him before her shoulders sagged in defeat.

"I don't have any money... Damn! How could I even think of shopping when I'm broke?!" She growled as she made a fist and punched the ground. Her mind really wasn't where it should be if she had forgotten something so basic as needing money to buy things!

Minato watched amused as the pinkette punched the ground in frustration. The amusement was wiped clean off his face when she fisted her hands in her hair and tugged on it. If there was one thing Minato loved it was unusual colored hair. So he found himself getting very irritated with her abuse towards her pink hair. "I could buy them for you." He trailed off hoping she would cease her abuse towards her hair.

"I don't need charity Minato!" Sakura growled as she stood up. Her pride would not allow her to just take freebies from people like this! "I'll figure something out I-!" Sakura's retort was muffled when Minato slapped his hand over her mouth.

"Come on Sakura be realistic! What will you wear if you turn my offer down? I mean I guess you could raid my closet... We are roommates after all!" He grinned widely as her cheeks flushed in embarassment. "If you don't like that the you should just let me do you the favor of buying you some new clothes!" He dangled his offer in her face again. He took satisfaction in the way her eyes waged war with his. His grin grew even wider when her shoulders slumped in defeat and she groaned.

"Fine..." She mumbled quietly as she pried his hand off of her mouth. Her eyes blazed with killing intent as she stared him straight in the eye. "But you can't see my bras, or underwear!" She huffed angrily as she stared him down.

"No promises!" He said easily as he turned to adress his team. "Who wants to help Sakura clothes shop?!" He called out to the boys who both lay on the ground panting. An opportunity had risen for the three to have a little bit of fun in these troubled times, so he had to capitalize on it.

"I WANT TO!" Obito yelled as he sprung up from the ground seemingly reenergized. He kicked up dirt onto Kakashi's head before he ran towards the group. "Finally I get to see what a bra is!" He yelled excitedly as he bounced from foot to foot. He seemed to not notice the blushed adorning the two female's faces at his exclamation. He turned to his teammate who was still had not made a move to get up. "Come on bastard you're holding us all up!" He exclaimed as he shook his fist angrily at Kakashi.

"Hmph! Why would I waste my time shopping when I could be training? I am a jonin Obito unlike you!" He mocked as he pulled himself up from the ground. He dusted himself off before he turned and walked in the other direction without another word.

"SCREW YOU BASTARD! I'LL FIND OUT WHAT A BRA IS WITHOUT YOU!" Obito yelled as he flipped his teammate off. He turned back to the group and finally noted the blushes on his teammate, and new sensei's face. "What?" He asked innocently as he stared at them.

"Oh Obito one day you will learn all about the female mind..." Minato stated as he ruffled the boy's hair. He really was kind of precious if you thought about it... Well kind of...

"No Obito I am not wearing that!" Sakura staated as she looked horrified at the puke green tank top he had thrusted in her face.

"Why not?! I think it's a cool color!" Obito defended himself as he placed the 'cool' shirt back on the rack.

"Just no..." Sakura shuddered as she resumed her clothes hunt. "Why don't you go help Rin look?" Sakura said hopefully as she looked up at the young boy. She didn't miss the way he looked at Rin when they were walking to the boutique. It was obvious that he liked her but Rin seemed oblivious to his feelings for her. She figured she could play matchmaker for the two... His eyes lit up in excitement and he turned without a word and ran towards his teammate. She sighed heavily as she resumed her current task. She had already picked out several konoha shinobi pants, and flak jackets but Minato and Rin had insisted that she get some normal day clothes. So she sifted through the racks of clothes in a search for anything that she might want. She had already found several red shirts that were similar to her old ones from before the war and set them to the side. She pulled out several pairs of black spandex shorts, and pants to add to the pile. She never was one for anything fancy as Ino had admonished her for more than once... But she couldn't help it that she liked funcionality. The only girly things she wore were her old high heeled boots... Hopefully she could find some new ones. Her eyes caught several off the shoulder shirts in various colors. She quickly pulled out a dark red shirt, and an emerald green shirt. The shirts came down to the top of the thighs and were form fitting. "I guess it couldn't hurt to have something nice to wear for a special occassion..." She almost doubted that she would have any after she started her work at the hospital, and missions. Something was nagging at the back of her mind that she would find a use for them later so she threw them into the pile as well.

"Hey Sakura!" Minato called out to catch her attention. As she turned to look at him he flung the lacey red underwear at her face. She sputtered indignantly as she grabbed the offending article of clothing off of her face. He expected her to blow up at him, but he was surprised when she smiled mischieviously at him.

"Oh thank you Minato! How did you know I liked red lace?" She said seductively as she stared him dead in the eye. It was payback for his constant jokes... She was surprised when his eyes glazed over as he continued to stare straight at her. No man had ever looked at her like that and it unnerved her. She could really feel how inexperienced she truly was as she looked at him. 'Look at him! There's no way he's still a virgin like us!' Inner Sakura cried in anguish from inside her mind causing her to blush. She looked down effectively cutting off their staring contest as she turned back to the task she needed to complete effectively ignoring him.

He didn't know what to think about how his body reacted to her words. He had never felt so bothered by so little before even when he was with Kushina. His thoughts turned sour as he thought of his ex girlfriend that he'd rather not think about right now... If ever... He shook the thoughts from his mind as he watched the pinkette closely. He vaguely found himself hoping that she wouldn't be like Kushina...

Minato turned the key into the lock to open the door to his apartment. He hefted up several large bags as he made his way inside the living room Sakura close on his heels. "This is the living room... Obviously... The kitchen is straight across from the entryway as is the dining room. The bedrooms, and bathrooms are down the hall to the left... The only hallway..." He joked as he led her down the hall to one of his spare rooms. "You can use this bathroom as your own personal bathroom if you want. I have a bathroom attached to my room so I don't use it." He gestured to the decent sized bathroom that was just off from the bedroom she would be using. It was plain and white with nothing decorating it. the only thing it did have was toilet paper. "And here is your room!" He led her next door to the largest of his three rooms besides his own. He opened the door and carried her bags inside. The bed was a full size and it was covered with a dark blue bedspread. A dresser sat next to the window on the opposite side of the room from the door. A closet lined the wall to the right side of the room when you walked in. "Well... I'll let you unpack and get settled in." He said as he sat the bags down at the end of the bed. He watched Sakura as she looked around the room curiously before her eyes came to rest on him.

"Thank you so much Minato... I owe you for taking me in when I had nowhere else to go... I promise I'll make it up to you someday..." She stated softly as she bowed her head in gratitude.

"It's no problem Sakura. I wouldn't have left you without anywhere to go even if you had fought me the whole way. And besides it gets lonely being here alone... So I am happy to have you!" He smiled gently at the woman in front of him. He wasn't sure why but he knew his life would be changing drastically soon. He just wondered if it would be for the better... "Good night Sakura..." He excused himself and exited the room. As he closed the door he heard her bid him good night as well.

"Good night Minato..." She whispered quietly as the door shut behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm back again with another update! A quick thank you to the people who reviewed it means a lot to me! Anyways on with the story! I do not own Naruto!

The sound of paper shuffling filled Sakura's otherwise quiet office. In the week that she had been in charge of the hospital she had been able to make sure that the hospital was running much more efficiently then it had been. The staff were finally following protocols, and schedules much to her relief. When she had arrived on her first day everyone had been busy doing their own thing. She had quickly put on her scariest facial expression and told everyone in no uncertain terms that they had better get their shit together. She had been rather convincing as her body had been surrounded in a fiery aura that would have made Tsunade proud. Needless to say The Third had been impressed with her progress so far.

A sigh escaped her lips as she finished up the last of the paperwork for the day. At least the staff had been competent enough to keep records before she had arrived. 'Competent huh?' Inner Sakura piped in mockingly. Sakura's brow furrowed as she shook Inner away so that she could sort the files out so they could be put away. It wasn't that she really wanted to go home... Minato, and his team had been away on a mission for almost a week so she had no one to keep her company. 'But he's coming back today...' Inner cooed from the dark recesses of her perverted mind. "Shut up Inner!" She huffed angrily as she shoved the last of the files into her filing cabinet. Inner seemed to be obsessed with Minato, but something about him unsettled Sakura. It was like she should have known him but she didn't, and that made her wary of him. "Stupid Minato..." She muttered as she stood and shrugged out of her doctor coat. She draped it over the back of her chair before making her way to the door.

Her personal assistand Shiori started as she noticed Sakura exit her office. "Going home Sakura-san?" She asked already knowing the answer. Sakura had worked the last seven days straight so she deserved a break. "Have a good weekend Sakura-san." She bid her farewell as she went to make her rounds.

Sakura watched the brown eyed brunette walk away before she turned to make her way out of the hospital. 'Man it's so boring not having Minato and his team around.' Inner groaned in boredom as she threw herself on the ground and proceeded to throw a fit. Sakura vaguely wondered what had gotten into her as she made the trek to Minato's apartment. Inner hadn't been so happy or outspoke since Naruto had died... "Naruto..." She sighed wistfully as she made her way up to Minato's door. Her eyes widened as a hand shot out from beside her to block her path to the door. Startled green eyes shot up to lock with chocolate brown. The man stared down at her giving her a chance to take his appearance in. He was taller then her by quite a bit, and he had raven hair. His face was very attractive. 'Not as attractive as Minato... Oh and Minato's taller too...' Inner huffed as she stabbed a voodoo doll that looked a lot like the man in front of Sakura. She sweatdropped as she cleared her throat to catch the man's attention. "Can I help you?" She asked trying to sound polite.

He smirked haugtily at her as he moved even more into her path. "The name is Shin, I'm Minato's neighbor." He explained the smirk never leaving his face.

'Player...' Inner shrieked as she stabbed the voodoo doll more violently. "Inner shut up!" Sakura yelled as she banished Inner into the dark part of her mind. "You didn't answer my question..." She said as she stared at him expectantly. If he had nothing to say then he could leave her alone.

"Oh right! Well I was wondering if you wanted to go out for dinner tomorrow night?" He asked as he ran a hand through his hair. He looked like he didn't think for a second that she would turn him down.

'I got news for you buddy I love Minato-kun!' Inner shouted as she broke out from the mental box Sakura had stuffed her in. "L-Love? Minato-kun?!" Sakura asked incredulously as she stared wide eyed at the man in front of her. "We don't call anyone by that suffix Inner! And we hardly know the guy! Are you going mental?!" Sakura yelled at Inner as said mental creature was dancing around with hearts in her eyes. 'I love Minato-kun!' Inner sang as she ignored Sakura completely.

Shin must have taken her silence as a good thing because the next thing she knew his arm was around her shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes." He said cockily as his face invaded her personal space. All traces of cockiness was wiped off his face when she shoved him away from her.

"Not in your life buddy!" Sakura hissed as she glared at him. Men like him were the absolute worst in her opinion. She hated how they walked around thinking that they were irresistible to all women. It was like he expected her to fall all over herself because of him. Well he definitely had another thing coming if he thought his charm would work on her. "Look I'm way to busy to waste my time with you! Why don't you go find a woman who would be interested in being just another one night stand. Sorry to say that I don't fit in that catefory! Oh wait I'm not really sorry!" She didn't give him time to reply as she pushed her way past him. She quickly stuck her key in the lock and flipped it open, but before she could open the door a hand had grabbed her arm with more force then was necesary.

"I think you should reconsider..." He hissed dangerously as he turned her roughly to face him. The nerve of this woman! In all his twenty two years he had never been turned down by any woman! Woman fell at the chance to go on a date with him! Hell the only man who was more popular with the ladies was his stupid neighbor Minato! God how he hated that man! It was only natural for him to go after the woman who was staying with the bastard! She had to be his girlfriend or something. It seemed like the perfect way to get back at his rival. Lucky for him the woman was gorgeous... It would've sucked if she had been ugly...

"Not in your dreams! Now I suggest you let go of me before I punch you through the wall!" Sakura's eyes flashed dangerously as her body tightened in anticipation of a fight. This guy really didn't know who he was messing with... But he was about to learn that no one messed with Sakura Haruno. She tensed as she prepared to attack the man who was holding onto her, but she never got the chance.

Shin felt a hand grab onto his shoulder roughly as blonde filled his vision. His eyes caught the face of Konoha's Yellow Flash centimeters from his own, and the look on Minato's face was livid.

"Shin how have you been?" Minato asked with fake curiosity. In truth he had been absolutely pissed at the scene in front of his apartment door. He had hoped that Shin would see Sakura and him together and would know to leave her alone. But the guy was never very smart if the situation they found themselves in was any indication. "I see you met my roomate Sakura!" He gestured his hand in the pinkette's direction as he tightened his hand painfully on Shin's shoulder. "Now I suggest that you keep your distance from her... Because if I catch you messing with her I will shove kunai down your throat." His eyes became icy as he looked the other man straight in the eyes. He could tell that he was scared of him... Which was a good thing in his opinion because it meant that he would most likely heed his warning.

"Whatever! Like I want this big foreheaded bitch anyways!" Shin said arrogantly as he shrugged Minato's arm from his shoulder. He stormed over towards his door as quickly as his legs could carry him.

'BIG FOREHEADED BITCH?!' Inner shrieked as she stabbed the voodoo doll as she simotaneously choked it. Words were completely lost on Sakura as she stormed after the jackass intent on beating him into a pulp. 'CHA! KICK HIS ASS OUTTER!' Inner shrieked again as she struck a martial arts pose. Sakura went to lunge at Shin but Minato quickly restrained her by wrapping his arms around her chest.

"He's just mad that you turned him down Sakura... There's nothing wrong with your forehead." Minato assured her as she struggled to escape his hold. Of course he knew she was holding back. If she really wanted out of his arms she was more then capable of doing so...

"Yeah you better run you little shit!" Sakura yelled as his door slammed behind him. The nerve of that bastard! 'Yeah how dare he insult our forehead? Minato-kun would never do that!' Inner piped in as she started to drool over Minato again. "Maybe we need to see someone..." Sakura sweatdropped at Inner's behavior as of late. Hell she hadn't even been this bad with Sasuke! 'Minato-kun... Marry us! Forget Sasuke Outter! Minato-kun is so dreamy!' Inner squealed as she flopped down onto the ground and began rolling around. "Yeah... We need to get help..." Sakura shuddered as she watched Inner's display.

He watched as her face changed from angry, to embarassed, to mortified, back to angry. It was amusing to watch how quickly her moods changed from one to the next. He wondered what she was thinking as he continued to watch her. His eyes caught his elderly neighbor watching them from the door to her apartment, and he figured he should get them inside before more gossip spread. "As much as I like standing in the hallway outside of my apartment, I'd rather be inside sitting on my couch." He joked as he watched her face changed to a startled expression.

"Shut up!" She quipped as she turned on her heel and stormed into the apartment. She could hear him laugh as he followed her inside the apartment. "Jerk..." She huffed as she made her way into the kitchen. Her stomach was growling ravenously as she searched the fridge, and cabinets for something to eat. "EMPTY!? DO YOU KNOW WHAT A GROCERY STORE IS?!" She shrieked as she slammed the fridge shut. There was absolutely nothing to eat in this house!

"Hey! You were the one who was here by yourself all week! How have you just now noticed that there's nothing to eat?! What have you been doing all week?!" He asked as he stared at her incredulously. He noticed the embarassed look that overtook her face. "Sakura... When was the last time you ate?" He asked seriously.

"Uh... I ate last night..." She shrugged sheepishly as her gaze stayed trained on the floor. His displeasure could be felt radiating from him. Sakura was quick to defend herself. "I had a long hospital shift! Sometimes I don't have time to eat!" She huffed in embarassment as her stomach growled loudly to prove her point.

"That's not an excuse Sakura! Your body needs food to operate at maximum efficiency! I'm not even a medic and I know this!" Minato scolded her as he ran a hand through his hair. 'She looks cute when she's embarassed.' He thought to himself as he watched her continue to avoid his gaze. "It can't be helped for now I guess... But you need to take better care of yourself!" He caught her gaze to accentuate how serious he was. "Come on let's go out for ramen." He gestured for her to follow as he made his way back out the door.

"Ahh Minato it's been a while! Who's the pretty lady friend?" Teuchi asked with much interest as Sakura, and Minato sat down side by side. He noted the way said lady blushed heavily at his comment.

"Yeah it has been a while hasn't it?" Minato laughed as he watched Sakura from the corner of his eye. She was blushing as red as a cherry and it made her look cute. In his opinion at least... "This is Sakura my roomate!" He gestured to the blushing kunoichi beside him.

"Sakura eh? The name really suits you with that hair of yours! No wonder Minato took a liking to you! Him and his damn hair fetishes!" Teuchi laughed as he ignored Minato's signal to stop. "The name is Teuchi Sakura and it's a pleasure to meet you!" He held out his hand for her to shake.

"Yes it's nice to meet you too!" Sakura stated shyly as she shook Teuchi's hand. She was still trying to figure out the whole hair fetish thing... 'Duh Minato-kun likes our freaky pink hair! Oh Minato-kun! SQUEAL!' Inner squealed as she hugged a miniature Minato doll. "Sometimes it's a pain having an Inner personality who's a psychopath!" Sakura groaned as Inner completely ignored her.

"What can I get you two?" Teuchi asked breaking the kunoichi out of her reverie. He knew what Minato would be getting, it was the same everytime.

"Uhhh beef ramen will be fine." Sakura said easily. She had eaten with Naruto at Ichiraku's enough to know exactly which ramen she liked the best. 'Naruto...' Inner sighed somberly. "I miss him too Inner..." Sakura fought back tears again as she waited for Teuchi to bring her ramen out. "I wonder if the pain will ever get better?" She could only hope that it would get better with time. "Maybe when Naruto's born again..." She sighed wistfully.

"Something on your mind Sakura?" Minato looked over curiously at his female companion. She didn't seem like she wanted to talk to him about whatever was bothering her, and he wouldn't push her. At least not yet...

"No I'm fine Minato... Just thinking about the past..." She didn't meet his eyes because she knew he would see the pain in them. She couldn't deal with it all right now, and she didn't want to burden anyone else with her problems. So she forced the pain to the back of her mind to fester. A fake smile was plastered on her face as Teuchi brought their ramen to them.

"Two beef ramen! Enjoy!" He said as he sat the bowls in front of them before he went to tend to his other customers.

"Mmmm... I love ramen!" Sakura moaned in delight as she shoveled ramen into her mouth. She was a functioning ramen additct after all the trips to ichiraku that she had taken. She was almost as bad as... "No! Don't think about any of that right now!" She chastied herself as she shoveled the ramen into her mouth faster.

"You can slow down you know! It's not like the ramen is going anywhere!" Minato laughed as he watched her stuff her face in a very unfeminine manner. Not that he minded much...

"Shut up! I've barely eaten all week! I'm practically starving!" Sakura practically roared as she brought the bowl to her mouth and gulped the contents. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she sat the empty bowl on the counter. "Ahhh that's better!" She purred contentedly as she leaned back in her seat. Her eyes cracked open as she felt two pairs of eyes watching her. "What?!" She growled as she stared Minato, and Teuchi down.

"Nothing Sakura! Are you all finished?" Minato grinned as he finished off the last of his ramen. Her eyes narrowed into slits as if she was daring him to comment on her table manners. "I'll take that as a yes!" He stated as he slapped down the money for their meal onto the counter.

"Hey I can pay for myself!" Sakura sqwacked indignantly as she dug her hands into her pockets. Her shoulders slumped in defeat as her search turned up empty. She had yet to get her first paycheck from working at the hospital so that meant that she was broke for another week. "Jerk... I'm going to pay you back soon enough so don't get any ideas!" Sakura pointed at him indignantly.

He raised his hands in mock surrender as he beamed at her. "Don't worry about paying me back Sakura! After all the guy always pays on the dates!" His smile got even wider if that were even possible as he watched her face turn scarlet.

"IT'S NOT A DATE!" Sakura roared in embarassment as she threw her chopsticks at him. She ignored the male's laughter as she stormed from the ramen stall.

"Sakura wait up!" Minato called as he ran to catch up with her. "I was just joking Sakura!" He hastily explained as he finally caught up to her. He instantly regretted it as she stopped suddenly, her eyes filled with sadness.

"Yeah I know it was a joke! No one would ever seriously consider taking a girl like me on a date! Hell who would want to waste time on the pink haired freak who doesn't put out!" Her voice was filled with anguish. "No one would ever take an interest in someone like me for anything else! And the only person who ever did... I rejected over and over again!" Her fists clenched so hard that blood dripped from between her fingers but she paid it no mind. "I'm even worse then them..." She whispered brokenly as large tears spilled from her eyes. The fact that Minato had made a joke out of her feelings had hurt more then she wanted to admit. It hurt because after she had become the new jinchuriiki few people wanted anything to do with her. Everyone shunned her, and the men only wanted sex from her. Besides the Konoha 12 she had few male friends. And almost all of them were dead except for Shino, and Kiba. Neither of them had been very close with her anyways so it was as if she was alone.

Her revelation of the way she had been treated had shocked him more then the fact that she had snapped at him. "Sakura I didn't want to make you feel like this! I-!" The words died in his throat as she spun on him in fury.

"Look at me!" She gestured to herself. "I'm not renowned for my looks Minato! Compared to the other kunoichi of my generation I'm nothing to look at! If you had seen Ino, or Hinata, or even TenTen you wouldn't even look twice at me! I've come to terms with that! But it still hurts to be made fun of like that! Don't toy with me Minato!"

"I'm not! Everything you just said is pointless to me because I thought you were beautiful from the first moment I met you! I don't know who any of those girls are but I doubt they could make you look plain or ugly! I'm not the kind of guy to judge based on someone's looks Sakura! And even if I was you wouldn't have anything to worry about! To me you are beautiful so to hell with those other guys!" Silence engulfed them after his rant. He watched her as her face was clouded with uncertanty. He knew she wasn't quite ready for a relationship but he had to let her know that he didn't see her the way others had. She had to understand that he was a better guy then that.

"You're an idiot..." Sakura whispered as she stared him straight in the eye. How was she supposed to respond to that? No one had ever called her beautiful besides Naruto... No one had ever made her feel so vulnerable before... How could she defend herself from him if he could slash all her defenses in half with only words? 'You don't need to...' Inner encouraged from inside her head. The subtle hint was clear and she immediately rejected it. "If I couldn't love Naruto after everything he did for me then I don't deserve to be happy!" That was all there was to it! She would not allow him to get any closer then he already had! "Can we just drop it?" It was a demand rather then a request.

"Sakura I... Ok we can drop it for now..." He hoped that she caught the double meaning in his answer. He would give her some time to sort her feelings out but it was apparent that she felt something for him. Whether it was attraction or something more he wasn't sure but he would find out. "Let's go home then..." He placed his hand on the small of her back as he led her down the street towards his apartment. "You will realize that not all men are like that Sakura..." He silently vowed as he watched her from the corner of his eye. His work was cut out for him and he knew it... 


	4. Chapter 4

Ok here's another chapter! I wanted to clear something up for you guys. The relationship won't be happening for a little while still. It may seem like it's well on its way but Sakura is still heartbroken over Naruto at this point in the story. She will deny any feelings she has for Minato for a while still. And as for Minato he already likes Sakura. If you pay attention to how his relationship with Kushina was described you would know that he liked her from the first moment they met pretty much. It's like that for him with Sakura. She just has to play hard to get for right now. Another thing I wanted to explain to everyone is my writing style. I don't sit down and plan word for word what I am going to write in each chapter that's not my style. When I write a chap I think up everything on the spot pretty much. I may have a vague idea on how I want certain parts to go but for the most part I go in totally blind. Well now that that is all taken care of... ON WITH THE CHAPTER! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! This chap is a long one filled with drama!

Green eyes peered out from the small crack in the open door. "Phase one of plan avoid Minato... Make sure he's not in sight and then run out the door fast as hell!" Sakura chanted to herself as she checked to see if the coast was clear. 'Oh Minato-kun isn't out there...' Inner whined as she hugged her Minato doll. Sakura shuddered as she wondered if Inner was a sociopath or something... "Why do you even have that?! It's royally creepy!" Sakura asked as she surveyed the living room again. "Coast is clear go for it!" Not waiting for any snarky reply from Inner Sakura bolted through the living room as fast as her feet could carry her without chakra.

"Going somewhere Sakura?" Minato quieried as he watched the kunoichi's face fall at him catching her escape attempt. Amusement overtook his features as her face fell into a look of defeat. He figured she would try the whole avoidance tactic after the conversation from the night before. It was obvious to him that it had been a very sensative topic for her. One that she was not ready to revisit.

"No... I'm not going anywhere..." Sakura replied somewhat self depricatingly. She had been so sure that he was not in the room! "Don't you have to train your team?" She asked as she slowly made her way into the kitchen. 'It is the weekend Outter... Maybe he wanted to spend time with us!' Inner squealed excitedly as she danced around Sakura's mind.

"Actually I do have to train them today, but I was wondering if you wanted to come along... You are supposed to be teaching Rin medical jutsu." He stated nonchalantly as he began cleaning up his breakfast mess. He watched her from the corner of his eye as he washed his plate and set it out to dry. "You know I really am grateful for your help with Rin... I always felt so bad that I couldn't teach her as much as I could Obito, and Kakashi... I owe you for helping her with her training." He sent her a dazzling smile as he sat the dishes on the drying rack.

A blush stained her cheeks as she attempted to brush off his words. "It was nothing Minato. I would hate to see all Rin's talent go to waste because she couldn't find a more suitable teacher. I'm more then happy to do it." She assured him because in reality she really enjoyed training Rin. With the war in her time there had been no time for her to take any students... At least now she could make sure that there were far more medical ninja this time around.

Sensing that she was uncomfortable with all the praise he decided to end the conversation. " So shall we get going?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"SAKURA SENSEI!" Obito yelled as the duo approached the training grounds. He quickly abandoned his teamates and made his way over to wrap his arms around Sakura's midsection. "I missed you while I was gone!" He yelled as he kept his arms wrapped around her in a deathgrip.

"Obito let go of her already!" Rin chastied as she made her way over to the group and pulled Obito off of Sakura. "How have you been sensei?" Rin asked as she held Obito back from attacking the pinkette with another Obito hug.

"I've been fine Rin! How did your guy's mission go?" Amusement laced Sakura's tone as she watched Obito struggle fruitlessly in Rin's hold. She really hoped Rin realized Obito's feelings for her before it was too late... 'And accepts them...' Inner's heartbroken voice whispered from the depths of Sakura's mind. "Yeah..." Sakura agreed as she struggled to keep a smile plastered on her face.

"IT WENT GREAT! I WAS SO COOL SENSEI! yOU SHOULD'VE BEEN THERE TO SEE IT! THERE WERE LIKE 30 NIN FROM KUMO AND I WE KICKED THEIR ASSES!" Obito hastily explained as he somehow came to stand in front of Sakura again.

"How did...?" Rin stared wide eyed at the spot Obito was now occupying. She was sure that she had been holding him tight enough so that he could not free himself... "How did you get over there?" She asked as she again stared at the spot he had been occupying prior.

"I'M JUST THAT GOOD RIN!" Obito explained confidently as he regarded the brunette. Of course had had to yell it to the whole world... Sakura was starting to wonder if he could speak like a civilized person...

"Yeah right Obito... You just wish you were that good..." Kakashi stated as he looked off to the side in boredom. "Just like you wish you were good enough to defeat a real ninja on your own..." He stated cooly as he turned bored eyes onto his now fuming teamate.

"SCREW YOU BASTARD!" Obito exclaimed as he lunged at his teamate only to be held back my Sakura.

"Calm down Obito!" Sakura scolded him as she held him by the collar of his shirt. She turned her attention on mini Kakashi sensei and regarded him coldly. She had to remind herself that this Kakashi only cared about himself and not his teamates. "And I bet you're good enough to take on anyone right?" Sakura remarked condescendingly. She ignored the intense looks she was receiving from Minato, and his team as she moved towards the thirteen year old boy. Getting right up in his face she smirked cockily at his startled look. "So I guess you can take me no sweat, right?" She baited him in the hopes that she could teach him a lesson.

"Yeah I bet you I can." He answered with a look of false confidence. In reality this woman terrified him for reasons he could not explain. But he could not let himself be made a fool of around his team... Nor would he allow anyone to mock him...

"Fine then! Follow me if you would..." Sakura smirked as she passed by him onto the middle of the field. She watched her mini sensei take a spot on the other side of the field as she regarded Minato's worried look as he sat on the sidelines. "Don't worry Minato... I'll heal what I break..." She let a feral grin overtake her face at the startled squeak that came from Obito at her words.

"I will hold you to that..." Minato remarked nervously as he watched the two size each other up. He really hoped that Sakura didn't destroy his poor student...

"Begin!" Sakura declared as she sprinted forward at an alarming speed. Her left foot slid across the ground as she swung her right leg up to execute the Heaven drop of pain. Kakashi managed to dodge it a milisecond before her foot smashed into the ground shattering the training field in one blow. Sakura took pleasure in the way Kakashi's face lit up in terror at witnessing her monster strength.

"She scares me..." Obito whimpered as he hid behind his sensei. 'I really hope I never make Sakura sensei angry...' He thought to himself as he peeked out from behind Minato.

"I hope so too Obito..." Minato sweatdropped as he continued watching the sparring session in front of him. It was obvious to him that Sakura was holding back on his student. Her body was completely relaxed as if she wasn't even taking Kakashi seriously... He doubted she was even moving at half of her top speed.

'I can't let her get close enough to his me with her taijutsu... So I'll attack her from a distance with ninjutsu or genjutsu!' Kakashi solidified his plan in his head as he watched the kunoichi dust her skirt off. He quickly jumped back and put some good distance between them as he performed the handsigns for a genjutsu.

Sakura smirked as she felt the genjutsu invade her senses. 'Kakashi sensei is in for a rude awakening...' Inner giggled as Sakura dispelled the genjutsu. She knew Kakashi would never notice that she had already dispelled the jutsu so she acted as if she was still affected as she saw him forming handsigns once more. "Chidori..." She breathed lower then a whisper. Of course she knew that at this point in his life Kakashi had not perfected the technique yet. She knew from what he had told her that he had difficulty aiming his chidori until he had received the sharingan. She quickly devised a plan to counter the attack.

He charged the lightning based attack in his hand until it was fully charged. "Chidori!" He called as he dashed towards the pinkette. He drew his arm back as he neared her and thrust the attack into her chest. A victorious smirk graced his lips as the pinkette's body started to fall towards the ground. He started when her body poofed into a cloud of smoke in front of him. "Wha-?!" He started as a hand grasped his ankle from below the ground.

"Earth style Head Hunter jutsu!" Sakura screamed as she pulled his body into the ground until only the head remained above ground. She burst up from the earth and pressed a kunai to his neck. "The one who stands out the most is just begging to be nailed back down..." She mocked using the words he used against Sasuke in the future.

"YEAH SAKURA SENSEI! YOU BEAT HIS ASS!" Obito yelled as he dashed out from behind his sensei. "YOU LOOK LIKE A TOTAL IDIOT WITH YOUR HEAD STICKING OUT OF THE GROUND LIKE THAT!" He doubled over in laughter at his teamate's expense.

"Obito that's not nice!" Rin scolded him as she ran forward to help Kakashi. She quickly pulled him up from the ground as she began fussing over his injuries.

'Oh no... Not another love triangle!' Inner groaned as Sakura watched how Rin interacted with Kakashi. She looked at him the same way Sakura had looked at Sasuke when she was that age. A groan escaped her lips as she turned understanding eyes in Obito's direction. Barely contained sadness flowed in his eyes as he watched Rin fuss over Kakashi. 'We gotta help Obito-kun out Outter... I can't stand to see another bad outcome because of unrequited love...' Inner stated as she receeded back into Sakura's mind. Sakura couldn't agree more as she watched the three teenagers in front of her. They really were a lot like her team... She resolved herself to helping Obito win Rin over from this point forward. She would make sure that he didn't die this time around... He would live a long life and be happy with Rin if she could help it... 'Hey Outter?" Inner piped up once again startling Sakura once again. "Yeah?" Sakura answered her as she concentrated on whatever Inner had to say. 'I just realized something...' Inner started nervously. "What did you notice?" Sakura asked curiously. 'Well you know who all these kids are... But don't you remember who Kakashi's sensei was...?' Inner shifted nervously as realization dawned on Sakura. "HOLY SHIT! MINATO IS NARUTO'S DAD!" Sakura screamed internally as her mouth dropped open in shock. 'HOW DID YOU NOT REALIZE THIS BEFORE?!' Inner shouted at her as tears streamed down her cheeks. "ME? WHAT ABOUT YOU?! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE THE SENSIBLE PART OF ME?!" Sakura argued as she bit her lip to keep from screaming. Inner didn't have a chance to respond because Minato's face entered her line of vision. And he was extremely close...

"Sakura...? Are you okay? You look really pale..." Minato looked worried as he brought a hand to the pinkette's forehead. They had been trying to get her attention for several minutes now with no luck, and he was starting to get worried. He was startled when she slapped his hand away her face becoming fierce.

"I'm fine!" She growled as she eyed him with contempt. "How dare he act all friendly when he should be marrying Kushina soon!" Her face betrayed the betrayal she felt at the realization of who he was, and the fact that he had a girlfriend. 'He was being too friendly to us when he has a girlfriend! Naruto's mom too!' Inner growled dangerously as she burned her Minato doll.

"Sakura... What's wrong with you?" Minato asked worriedly as he attempted to reach out to her. He frowned when she scooted back from him the look never leaving her face. "Sakura what's wrong with you?" Impatience laced his voice as she continued to avoid him.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you Minato?!" Sakura spit venemously as she gracefully stood. She loomed over him like a tiger ready to pounce. "You have a girlfriend and you're acting like she doesn't even exist! I'm so stupid! I should've realized it sooner! What would Kushina think if she knew I was livng with you?!" Sakura shouted as she stepped forward menacingly.

Sky blue eyes turned steely grey at the mention of his ex girlfriend's name along with Sakura's accusations. "Sakura I don't have a girlfriend. Kushina dumped me over a year and a half ago..." He said easily. He didn't want Kushina back either. After all she had dumped him for another man... Right when he had been getting ready to propose to her too... They could never be again... Because he would never be able to trust her again. His attention was focused once more on the pinkette when an even more disturbed look overtook her face.

"You... You aren't dating Kushina...?" She asked herself more then him it seemed. It couldn't be! No Kushina meant no Naruto! And a world without Naruto was a world without a future! 'What do we do?' Inner asked in a panic. The thought of Naruto never being born scared the both of them to death! "I don't know..." Sakura whispered as she sank to her knees.

"Kit it's not the end of the world..." Kurama's deep baritone invaded her mind as she started to have a breakdown.

"NOT THE END OF THE WORLD?! NARUTO WON'T BE BORN IF MINATO DOESN'T GET BACK TOGETHER WITH KUSHINA!" Sakura yelled back at the fox. Different scenarios filled her mind all of them lacked one orange clad idiot ninja... "The future can't be without Naruto... It just can't..." Tears struggled to escape from her eyes as she desperately fought them back.

"Naruto can still be born kit. Whether Kushina's his mother this time around or not." Kurama stated easily as he receeded back into his cage again.

'But he won't be the same Naruto...' Inner stated quietly as she hugged herself. "Why is this happening? Why didn't we realize who Minato was before...?" Sakura berated herself. No one else could be Naruto's mother! It had to be Kushina! She wouldn't let this continue anymore!

"Sensei is Sakura okay?" Obito asked worriedly as he shifted nervously behind his sensei. Sakura had been out of it for several minutes and he was worried about her. Her big green eyes were wide and unseeing while tears flowed down her cheeks.

Minato didn't answer his question because he didn't know the answer. He had seen the way Sakura's face had fallen when he had told her about Kushina. She had looked utterly devastated at his revelation of his failed relationship with the red haired kunoichi. He hadn't wanted to tell Sakura at all... But she had somehow figured it out on her own... Perhaps Shin had something to do with it... After all Kushina had been messing with him behind Minato's back in the first place... He could've told Sakura about Kushina in an effort to drive a wedge between them. His thoughts cleared as Sakura glared down at him.

"Why did you break up? Do you know what you've done to the future?! Naruto won't be-!" She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth before she gave away too much. Something told her that Minato's unborn son was best kept from his knowledge right now. She gritted her teeth before she leveled him with her gaze once more. "Take her back!" She demanded as she took a step forward. She would make sure that Naruto was born the way he was supposed to be! Even if she had to bully his idiot of a father into getting back with Kushina. She ignored the little pang in her chest at the thought of them together. "Take Kushina back before it's too late!" She demanded again as she continued glaring at the man in front of her.

Minato's eyes widened at Sakura's demand for him to take Kushina back. Of all the things that she could say to him, she had demanded him to take Kushina back. What Sakura had failed to realize was that Kushina was the one who had broken his heart not the other way around. It was Kushina who had taken his heart and shattered it into a million pieces when he had found her with Shin. She hadn't truly wanted him... He had come to terms with that a long time ago. But Sakura had to be made to realize that he held no feelings for the redhead anymore, just as she held none for him. "Sakura Kushina and I broke up because she didn't want to settle for one man. I found her messing with Shin in my own bed when I returned from a mission early one night." He eyed the kunoichi in front of him carefully as she processed what he had told her. "I even offered to work things out with her but she refused. She said she wanted to play the field more and I was holding her back. She admitted that she had been seeing different men for a while and that she wanted to break up. It hurt at first but not as much as her betrayal." Minato's eyes hardened and he noticed that his students had left to give them some privacy. "It hurt Sakura! It hurts when the woman you love goes behind your back and screws with other men! It hurts even more when you would still take her back but she wants nothing to do with you! I tried to make it work out but Kushina didn't want that! She wanted to break up and nothing I said could change that! Even if she came to me and apologized I couldn't take her back! I can't ever trust her again!" He didn't know why he was so upset. He didn't know why Sakura brought out feelings in him in the small amount of time he had known her. None of that mattered to him at the moment. He didn't want to lose the 'friendship' that he had with Sakura. He didn't want to make her feel the way Kushina had made him feel. She had made him feel like he was worthless, and used. He never wanted to make anyone feel like that, especially Sakura.

Guilt ebbed at her heart as she watched Minato. What she had said had hurt him and she knew it. Bringing up Kushina had stirred up many unpleasant memories for him and she had been the cause of it. Had she known what Kushina had done to him she would never have said anything... This had changed everything she had thought she knew about Naruto's mother. In her time Naruto had told her that his mother had been hopelessly in love with Minato, and he with her. But it was obvious as she looked at Minato, that while his feelings were the same Kushina's had been different this time around. "I'm sorry Minato... I didn't know... I should've asked and not assumed..." She felt absolutely awful about what she had started... She was willing to bet that Minato felt as much sadness at Kushina's name as she did knowing that Naruto would not be born... Well that was probably pushing it... She was devastated knowing that Naruto would not be born this time. What could she do? From the way Minato had spoken she knew he would not take Kushina back and she could not blame him.

"I already told you that it's not the end of the world kit... Naruto will just have to have a new mom this time around..." Kurama reassured her once more before dissapearing again.

'A different mom? But will he still be the same Naruto?' Inner piped up quietly. Sakura couldn't answer her because she didn't know. All she did know was that she had to make sure Minato met a girl soon so that Naruto could be conceived. If memory served her Naruto was supposed to be born in October two years from now. She had to make sure that he came to be... The world would be doomed otherwise.

"It's okay Sakura I'm not mad at you. I would be upset if I thought I was being used by someone too... Well I already know what that's like..." Minato joked half heartedly as he scratched the back of his head. "Should we get back to training?" He gestured his team back over from their spot on the opposite side of the field. His team obviously wanted to know what happened but a shake of his head was enough to let them know it wasn't their business. He hoped that training would take everyone's minds off of the whole situation. His attention was drawn to Sakura when she squared her shoulders, her serious demeanor coming back.

"Alright Rin let's get to work!" Sakura ordered briskly. Said brunette instantly came to attention as Sakura adressed her. "For today we are going to be doing something a little different. But before we start I have a question for you." Sakura's eyes met Rin's and she held it. "What is the most important skill for a medical ninja?" Sakura asked the girl.

"Well we are medical ninja sensei so healing is the most important!" Rin answered easily.

"Wrong!" Sakura said shocking the girl in front of her. She almost wanted to smile... Rin reminded her so much of herself that it was unreal... "For a medical ninja evasion is the most important skill!" Sakura continued noting the way Rin's face clouded up in confusion.

"Evasion? But sensei why is that?" Rin asked uncertainly.

Sakura's gaze turned hard as she stared Rin down. "Who will heal the team if the medical ninja dies?" She asked sternly. She went on not giving Rin a chance to comment. "A medical ninja can't afford to be hit by any attack! If we die there will be no one left to heal the team and the chances of a successful mission decrease! So today you will practice avoiding my attacks! Think you can handle it?"

"Yes!" Rin answered with a hint of nervousness still lingering in her voice.

"Begin!" Sakura yelled as she dissapeared from sight.

Rin tried desperately to locate her but she could not see her anywhere on the ground. Startled brown eyes shot up to see Sakura descending from above fist on a straight path for her. She scrambled back in the knick of time as Sakura impacted the ground shattering it completely. Debris flew up and struck Rin's face as she flew back causing her eyes to instinctively shut.

"KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!" Sakura roared as she closed in on the younger medic. She made a fist and slammed it into the girl's stomach with a fraction of the power she normally would have. Rin flew back and slammed into a tree snapping it in half. She vaguely heard Obito call out for Rin but she paid him no mind. "Why would you close your eyes with an enemy right in front of you?!" Sakura scolded her harshly as the girl struggled to right herself. "Watch every move your enemy makes Rin! Surely you must know that everyone has a dominant hand and foot?" At the girl's nod she continued with the explanation her teacher had once given her. "If you focus and find the dominant hand and foot you can find underlying mannerisms. If you watch you can begin to distinguish individual attack patterns and that will increase your ability to dodge! Do you understand what the meaning of this exercise is?"

"Yes I understand!" Rin answered as she struggled to stand. Her sensei wasn't taking it easy on her and she knew that it was a good thing. Somewhere inside she hoped that this was also keeping her sensei distracted from whatever was bothering her earlier.

"Alright then! Let's keep going until you can't move anymore!" Sakura answered cheerfully as Rin's face was filled with horror. Oh how she loved having her own student...

Half an hour later and Rin was completely spent. She had done the best she could but Sakura had still sent her through more trees then she could count... She was exhausted and her chakra was non existent. She had several bruised bones, and lacerations littered her skin from the debris she was constantly hit with.

"That was good Rin now let me heal you!" Sakura brought her glowing green hands to the younger girl quickly healing her lacerations, and contusions. From her peripheral vision she noticed Minato and the rest of the team approaching them.

"How did she do?" Minato asked as he put his hands behind his head. He eyed his only female student closely noting the wounds that Sakura had yet to heal. She had really put Rin through hell... But he was sure that it would pay off. Everyone had been working so hard lately and he was proud of them. He was especially proud of how far Rin had come since Sakura had began training her. His student walked with more confidence, and she was less introverted now. He really couldn't thank Sakura enough for helping her...

"She did good for her first time. At this rate she'll be effectively dodging attacks in her sleep!" Sakura smirked at the indignant squeak Rin sent her way.

"No way Sensei! I'm nowhere near your level!" Rin groaned as a particularly sharp pain ran through her back. She was grateful for the soothing healing chakra that was being pumped into her abused body. Hopefully she would be able to do the same thing soon.

"Rin it comes with time! You'll catch up to me one day I'm sure of it!" Sakura encouraged her as she finished healing the last of her wounds.

"Yeah Rin you did really great today! I probably wouldn't have even got up after I got punched through a tree!" Obito beamed at the girl who laid sprawled out on the ground. He really had been impressed with her as he watched her get up after being hit by Sakura over and over again. Of course he knew that Sakura sensei was holding back. If she hadn't been Rin would've been dead after her first attack.

"He's right Rin you did well." Minato agreed.

"Thanks guys! But I'll never look at a tree the same way again..." Rin giggled as she looked at the decimated trees that lined the clearing.

"I hear you on that Rin!" Obito sweatdropped as he agreed with her.

A small laugh escaped Sakura's lips as she watched the team interact with each other. It was peaceful and for a moment she could forget about her past, and the uncertain future...


	5. Chapter 5

Ok before I start the chapter I wanted to explain something about Minato's revelation in the last chapter. In this story Minato has no intentions of getting back together with Kushina as I stated before. Also Minato already likes Sakura but she is still feeling guilty about rejecting Naruto. At this point she feels like she is undeserving of love so she will brush off any advances for a while still. Eventually she will come to terms with everything from her past. These first few chapters were intended to define relationships between the main characters. So if it didn't seem to flow together like I wanted it to I am sorry about that! Anyways on with the chapter! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

Sakura groaned as she shifted onto her side in an attempt to get more comfortable. She had crashed hard last night after the stress and exhaustion of the past few weeks had finally caught up with her. Between getting the hospital running smoothly, and training Rin she had been extremely busy. So she was happy to say that she had finally gotten the hospital up and running, and Rin's training had been coming along nicely. She had successfully completed step one of the mystic palm technique, and her evasion training was coming along nicely. Sakura felt extremely accomplished with what she had done so far, so much so that she felt comfortable with leaving the hospital to run on its own for a few days. That was her way of wishing for a mission from the hokage. Being cooped up in the village for over a month had been driving her crazy! She had other things that she needed to take care of to secure a better future. At some point she would have to get together with the Hokage and discuss what needed to be done with Orochimaru, and Danzo. If those two could be taken out this early in the game then a lot of people would be spared tremendous heartache. After that she would most likely focus on Akatsuki. If she could eliminate the members before they joined then it would save her a lot of trouble. Without them Madara would not have the power he needed to collect the tailed beasts. As it stood he would not have Obito to help him instigate the Kyuubi attack. Not that they would catch her off guard! It would be much more difficult to extract the fox from her body than it had been Kushina. After all she didn't plan on having any babies in her lifetime so she didn't have to worry about the seal weakening in childbirth. A depressed sigh escaped her lips as she threw the blankets off of herself and stood. "Better get going then!" A yawn escaped her lips as she went to retrieve an outfit for the day. She pulled out a off the shoulder red tank top that ended at her thigh, and a pair of black spandex shorts. She changed into her clothes quickly before she threw her knee length hair into a high ponytail. Giving herself a once over in the mirror she decided that she was decent before exiting the room.

Minato looked up from his breakfast as his roomate walked into the room. He did a double take after he saw what she was wearing. The red tank top was form fitting and it accentuated her large breast, and toned stomach, while the shorts showed off her toned legs, and bottom. Drool started to build up in his mouth as she took a seat across from him.

"Good morning Minato!" Sakura greeted him as she gathered her own breakfast. Her eyes caught the look on his face as confusion filled her. "Are you... drooling?" She shuddered in disgust as said male quickly wiped away the evidence.

"Good morning Sakura! And no I am not drooling!" He defended himself as she continued to stare at him in barely concealed disgust. 'Why did she have to come to breakfast dressed like that?!' His eyes ran over her body from head to toe once more as a frustrated groan escaped his lips.

"Are you sick or something? You look like you're running a fever..." Sakura reached across the table and pressed a hand to his forehead. "Maybe a little one..." She looked at her companion worriedly. In the last few weeks they had established a close friendship. They often spent time together after work or training, and Sakura could say it was one of the highlights of her day. He reminded her so much of Naruto that she couldn't help but be drawn to him. 'Well he is Naruto's dad...' Inner whispered quietly. She was already well aware of that fact... She had already been busy planning out how to get him into a steady relationship with a woman in time for Naruto to be born. It wasn't going well because the only person he really wanted to see besides his team was her. She often caught him watching her closely while she was training Rin. The expression on his face was so strikingly similar to how Naruto used to look at her that she felt immensely guilty when she saw him do it. She wasn't stupid enough to not see that he was at least attracted to her. But she also wasn't selfish enough to interfer with him more than she already had. She had resigned herself to being his friend but that was it.

"I'm fine Sakura. It's just a little got this time of year." Minato concluded lamely as his eyes stayed glued to the pinkette. She was thinking too hard again... he could easily see the gears turning at an alarming rate in that pretty little head of hers. She seemed to have so much going on in her mind that she could never seem to focus on any one thing for long. Well it made sense. After all she was a time traveler from the future. She probably was busy focusing on the possible scenarios from the future and ways to change everything in Konoha's favor. He respected her for all that she had done since he had known her. She had taken the position of head medic and turned the hospital completely around in a month when no one else even wanted to try. She had been a dedicated teacher to Rin, and his student seemed to be benefitting greatly under her guidance. He would have to find a way to thank her when he had the chance. "So what are you up to today?" He asked as he regarded her carefully.

"Well I need to discuss certain things with the hokage. I was actually hoping that you would sit in with us so that we could have another opinion." Her eye narrowed in annoyance as the man across from her beamed stupidly at her.

"Aww Sakura you actually care about what I think? I'm so flattered! Of course I-! Hey where are you going?!" Minato sqwacked indignantly as she quickly stood and crossed the living room and exited out the door. "Hey wait for me!" He shouted as he quickly made his way after her.

"Sakura, Minato what can I do for you?" Hiruzen asked as he regarded the duo in front of him carefully. He already had a suspision on why Sakura was here but one could never be too sure about Minato.

"Well Hokage-sama I wanted to discuss plans to change the future. I've already been here a month and I haven't done anything productive in changing it!" Frustration and impatience could be heard in her voice as she kept her eyes trained on the hokage.

"Both of you take a seat." Hiruzen gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk. After they had done as asked he decided to get down to business. "Well Sakura how about you tell me about your world? That way we can devise a plan to counteract any scenarios that would negatively affect the future."

Sakura quickly went into detail about the kyuubi attack, the death of the Fourth Hokage. She explained how the Third had had to take over again after the Fourth had died. She went into detail about Danzo's involvement in the Uchiha massacre, and how that would affect the village. She told the Third about his death at the hands of Orochimaru during the Chunin exams. She told them about Tsunade landing the position as Hokage and how she had trained under her for two and a half years while her teamates were missing. She explained how they lost time and time again on the battlefield as Madara was just too powerful to be stopped. She explained how she had come to be the jinchuriiki due to Naruto's death. She left out the part about Minato's role in this as she didn't think he needed to know just yet. Needless to say both men were completely floored after she finished her tale.

"That... I can't even believe that things turn out so bad..." Minato stated quietly as he struggled to regain his composure. His heart really broke for the woman next to him. She had been through complete hell yet she was still fighting to make sure it didn't happen again. He promised to protect her no matter what the cost to himself.

"Mmm... Who would have ever thought that Madara was still alive... What can we do to stop him?" The Third half heartedly took a drag from his pipe as he turned the situation over in his head. The fact that the future was so horrifying almost broke him. The thought of the Leaf village being burned to the ground infuriated him to no end! He had protected this village his whole life and to hear that it would all be destroyed filled him with immense pain.

"We need to keep Obito safe. Madara only gets as far as he did because he got his hands on Obito. He turns him onto his own little minion so to speak... It was Obito who causes the kyuubi attack that will happen in two years." Sakura's head turned to the side at Minato's deep growl. He was extremely protective of his students and this angered him deeply. "There is a mission that will happen soon and it will decide whether Madara gets his hands on Obito or not." She wasn't sure when the bridge mission would take place but she hoped that she was there when team seven went out on it. She had to make sure that Obito came back home after that mission. It would complicate matters if Madara succeeded in taking him again. Not to mention that team seven would be heartbroken if anything happened to him.

"What mission?" The Third asked as he sifted through his mission files. He almost wanted to keep Obito in the village permanently so as to avoid the situation altogether. He knew he couldn't do that so he had to keep a close eye on the Chunin from now on as he knew Sakura, and Minato would be doing as well.

"While team seven was on a mission to the land of stone to destroy several bridges to stop the flow of incoming weapons to enemy countries Rin gets kidnapped. Obito gets killed while he and Kakashi try to save her. Madara takes him from there and trains him to be his own personal weapon." Sadness filled her at the thought of Obito ending up the way he had in her world. He was a light just like Naruto had been and she couldn't stand the thought of him living the life he had. She would not let it come to that. "The best thing we can do is send me along on the mission when it comes up. That way I can prevent Rin from being kidnapped, and at the same time prevent Obito's 'death.'" She finished and waited patiently for what the Third had to say.

"We could always send another team to complete the mission instead." Hiruzen offered instead. If team seven didn't go on the mission then maybe the whole situation could be avoided.

"I don't think that will work. The order to kidnap Rin was just never given until that mission. Even if she doesn't show up on that mission they will probably just go after her again when she's on another mission. At least we know that they act on the bridge destruction mission so we can counteract it accordingly. If we don't take advantage of the fact that we already know about it then they will just grab Rin at another time. They will have the advantage at that point because we won't know when they will strike." He reasoning was solid and she knew it. The would have to take advantage of what she knew. If they didn't then who knows if anyone would be there to save Rin, and Obito when it counted.

"Why do they want Rin anyway?" Minato questioned catching the Third's interest. It had been nagging at him since they had started the conversation... Why were enemy ninja after his student?

"They want to turn her into the three tails jinchuriiki..." Sakura fingered the fabric over her stomach as she pondered the fate Rin was in danger of facing. She wouldn't wish the fate of a jinchuriiki on anyone...

Bright blue eyes darkened in fury at what Sakura had told them. They wanted to turn Rin into a jinchuriiki?! They wanted to use her there was no doubt about it! But why Rin? Why not someone else who was an ally? What would they gain from using an enemy ninja? "Why Rin? Why not use someone else?" His anger laced his voice as he fpcused on hearing Sakura's response.

"They think she will be too weak willed to control it... They plan on using her to destroy the Leaf village from the inside..." She knew Minato was furious about what she had revealed to him. Hell she was just as upset as he was! Rin was her student and one of her precious people! She would never want anyone to go through the pain of being a jinchuriiki, especially not Rin.

"Bastards..." Minato gritted his teeth in anger. The enemy wanted to use one of his precious people as a weapon to destroy their beloved village. Rin would never be able to handle the guilt... It would tear her apart... When the time came he would tear those ninja apart for even trying to harm his student!

"What happened to Rin in your world?" Taking another drag from his pipe Hiruzen focused on the kunoichi in front of him once more.

"She died... They succeeded in capturing Rin after the Bridge Mission... After she learned about what they were planning on doing to her she killed herself by jumping in the way of Kakashi's chidori... She... She wanted to be with Obito..." Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as her heart throbbed painfully. Rin had not died only for the Leaf village, she had truly wanted to be with Obito... She had realized her feelings too late...

He couldn't speak... Words would not form in his mind at this point. Rin had sacrificed herself to protect the Leaf, and be with Obito... But in doing so she had most likely filled Kakashi with immense guilt about her death... Minato wanted to cry as he thought about her sacrifice and Kakashi's inevitable pain... He would not fail his team this time! He swore it!

"So even if they fail to kidnap Rin on the Bridge mission they will succeed later? Well then what is the point of sending team seven in the first place? We can't stop it we can only prolong it." He couldn't even bring himself to bring his pipe to his mouth again. He felt almost sick at the thought of team seven's fate.

"I do have an idea Hokage-same." She waited for him to gesture for her to continue. "I would like to become a full member of team seven. This way I can protect Rin from any possible kidnapping attempts by enemy nin. Well when Minato isn't around that is." She wasn't sure if he would grant this request because he did need a competent head medic at the hospital and if she died on a mission then the hospital may fall into disrepair. He looked like he wanted to turn her down but she cut him off. "If you are worried about the hospital don't be. Shiori is more then capable of running it for me in my abscense. And I plan on hunting Lady Tsunade down and dragging her back to the village at some point. When I do that she will be able to fill in for me too." A smirk came to her face as she imagined dragging a fire breathing Tsunade back to the village against her will. She would do it if she had to...

She would not take no for an answer and he knew it. And he could honestly see the reasoning behind her request. With another skilled jonin watching over team seven when Minato wasn't able to the team's chances of survival were greatly increased. "I'll allow it... As long as you can promise me that Shiori can handle it until we find Tsunade."

"I'm certain that she can Hokage-sama. I wouldn't have even suggested it if I didn't think she could handle it." Sakura hastily reassured him. She was happy that this mean that she could watch out for team seven all the time! Not only that, she could finally get out of the village and go on a mission!

"What about Orochimaru, and Danzo?" Minato questioned seriously. He was happy about Sakura joining the team as a full member but he was concerned about these two as well. Something had to be done about them before it was too late.

"I suggest keeping an eye on them for right now. After all we can't make a move against them while they still 'claim' to be loyal Konoha shinobi." Sakura snorted at the notion of these men ever being loyal to anyone but themselves. "Orochimaru should be defecting soon... When he does that he's fair game. I say we take care of him first."

"I'll have an anbu team tail Orochimaru while he's inside the village, and out of it. When he makes his move we'll be ready for him. As for Danzo we'll have to keep an eye on him as well. By the look of things we won't be able to take active steps against him for a while." A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he reminisced about his old friend. Who would have ever thought that Danzo would fall so far into the darkness... "Someone is coming to meet with me soon so you are dismissed." He watched as the two bowed at the waist and left his office. "Who would have ever thought that I could feel even older then I did when I woke up this morning." He sighed as he began sorting through his paperwork.

As they walked down the street side by side Sakura couldn't help but to notice the almost helpless look on Minato's face. "They'll be fine Minato... We'll make sure of it." She brushed her hand over his arm gently to reassure him. She was certain that together they could prevent Obito, and Rin's previous fates from happening. Minato just had to believe that for himself.

His blue eyes focused on the pinkette as she feathered her hand over his arm. He couldn't deny that it felt good when she touched him... It always made a pleasant warmth trail through his body. What was she doing to him? He had never been so responsive to any woman before. She made him want to kiss her senseless! He stopped walking which in turn caused Sakura to stop. He stared down at her as he resisted the urge. She wasn't ready for anything like this and he knew it. Her already fragile heart might shatter if he pushed her boundaries but he could barely control himself! He didn't even know if she felt anything for him. But he found that he didn't care. He had been infatuated from the beginning and his control was starting to slip.

A blush adorned her cheeks as she turned her face to the side. She couldn't stand to have him look at her like that! It made her feel more warm than it should have. And with that came guilt that she felt anything at all! Who was she to deserve all the affectionate gestures when she had broken Naruto's heart over and over again. She had blindly loved Sasuke even though it had broken Naruto. And Sasuke? He died before he had even had a chance to sort out his feelings. She openly loved Sasuke, and somewhere inside she had loved Naruto as well. But both of them had died and left her behind... She was not only guilt about Naruto, she was scared of loving and being hurt again. So she had to strengthen her barriers with Minato because she couldn't afford any slip ups. She couldn't afford to be broken again... She raised her arms to push him away from her only to feel a hand massage her butt. "AHHH!" She shrieked completely startled as she whirled on the pervert and punched him a good ten meters away.

"Sensei?" Minato snapped out of his haze as his companion punched his sensei a good distance. He would have thought that his sensei would have learned after being around Tsunade but he obviously hadn't...

"What a woman!" Jiraiya exclaimed from his slumped position on the ground. He couldn't imagine his luck when he noticed his student talking to curvaceous woman with pink hair. It would not be like him to pass up an opportunity to do 'research'. So he decided to do what he did best... Grope... And then get punched! The little spitfire reminded him of Tsunade with the brute strength she had punched him with. He hoped he could convince her to spend some quality time with him...

"YOU PERVERT!" Sakura roared as Jiraiya pulled himself up from the ground. 'CHA KICK HIS ASS!' Inner yelled in agreement as Sakura moved forward to put an end to the Toad Sage. A firm hand grasped onto her upper arm to stop her from maiming the Sannin. Furious green eyes shot over to lock with Minato. "Let me go!" She hissed venemously as she shrugged his hand off her arm.

"Sakura he's my sensei please don't kill him..." He turned pleading eyes onto the kunoichi in front of him. "He's actually not so bad..." He reasoned as best he could with the furious woman. In truth he had not been happy that his sensei had groped Sakura, but he knew that Jiraiya was still hopelessly in love with Tsunade... As he would most likely be until he died...

"Yeah and I'm the devil himself!" Sakura spat venemously as she envisioned Jiraiya's painful death. But Minato was actually begging her to spare his sensei so she supposed she could let it slide this once... Plus they would need Jiraiya when the time came so she couldn't kill him. "You!" She spat at the Toad Sage as she turned hard eyes on him. "I will let you live this one time! But if you ever grope me again I will castrate you with my bare hands!" She smirked in pleasure at the horrified looks she received from the two men.

"Well would you look at the time? I really have to get going! I have to report in to sensei about my mission!" Jiraiya stuttered nervously before he dissapeared in a cloud of smoke.

"OH AND I BETTER NOT CATCH YOU AT THE BATHHOUSE!" Sakura roared knowing full well that the Sannin was still around. She turned her attention to her frightened companion. "Now then I need to check up on the hospital so I'll see you later!" She smiled cheerfully as she left him standing there in the road. Jiraiya always showed up when she needed something to beat on it seemed! Not that she was complaining... He had saved Minato from making a big mistake... 'DAMN YOU JIRAIYA!' Inner cried in anguish and cursed the Sannin to death.

Somewhere close by a sneeze escaped the Toad Sage. "Well a pretty lady must be thinking about me!" He smiled as he rubbed his nose. If only he knew... 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey I'm back with another update! A thank you to everyone who reviewed! Yay Sakura finally gets to go on a mission in this chapter! ENJOY! I do not own Naruto!

Green orbs carefully scrutinized every move the young Chunin made. Rin had come far in the month and a half that Sakura had been training her. Her medical ninjutsu was coming along much more nicely then it had been. She had improved by leaps and bounds and it made Sakura proud of the girl. Minato had even been outwardly impressed at Rin's newfound abilities. Even her teamates had started to take notice. After every sparring session Rin tended to Obito, and Kakashi's injuries. Of course Obito thanked Rin with a big smile everytime she tended to his injuries... Whereas Kakashi just made snide remarks about Rin finally being useful for something. This normally resulted in Sakura punching said boy through a tree. And no she did not heal him afterwards either... A sigh escaped her lips as she comtemplated the fact that she still had not been sent out on a mission yet... In truth she was beginning to go insane from being cooped up in the village all of the time. She hoped the Third would have mercy on her and send her out soon...

"Sensei I need to take a break." Rin panted out as she doubled over and placed her hands on her knees. Brown eyes glazed over in exhaustion as she struggled to catch her breath. She had been at it since eight in the morning and the training had started to take its toll on her. In the last few weeks the girl had really started to despise chakra exhaustion...

"That's fine Rin. You've been working very hard over the last few days. I'm very proud of your progress." Sakura complimented the girl taking pleasure in the way Rin's cheeks flushed in embarassment at the praise. She really loved having her own student... She could spend the time they weren't training together teasing the poor girl... "You know Rin I was thinking that you could start working at the hospital soon. It's good practice!" Sakura commented.

Rin's eyes widened in excitement. She couldn't believe that her Sensei thought that she had come far enough to actually work in the hospital! "You really think so?" She asked nervously. There was a difference between healing a fish, or healing her idiot teamates after they had beaten each other half to death. She would actually be responsible for the wellbeing of the hospital's patients. That was a responsability that she was both excited for, and terrified of. "What if I make a mistake and someone gets hurt? I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet..." She remarked sadly. Her Sensei had chided her over and over about her lack of confidence, but she just couldn't seem to help it.

"Nonsense Rin! You will do fine! And it's not like you will be dealing with life threatening injuries! You'll start off on a smaller scale and work up." Sakura reasoned irritably. She had drilled the need for self confidence into Rin but the girl just couldn't seem to feel confident about anything she did. Sakura's opinion she was more then ready to start making rounds at the hospital. She would not be taking no for an answer.

"If you say so..." Rin replied half heartedly. If her Sensei told her she was ready she would just have to believe her. After all she trusted Sakura. She was the best medical ninja in the Leaf.

"Yes I did say so, so you will do it! Now come on! Let's go and inform Shiori so she can work you into the schedule!" Without waiting for a reply she grabbed the young girl and dragged her out the door. They walked side by side down the street without speaking. Sakura could see the tension in Rin's frame as the younger girl focused on the ground. She could understand the apprehension Rin was feeling. After all she had felt the same way when Tsunade had made her start working in the hospital. "You know what Rin?" She asked catching the Chunin's attention. "I was really nervous when I started working at the hospital as a genin." She revealed catching Rin completely off guard.

"But you're such an amazing medic! I'm sure you did great!" Rin stuttered out in embarassment. Surely her Sensei had been much more put together then she was when she had been her age. She couldn't imagine Sakura being afraid of anything! She just seemed like nothing could even phase her.

"You have to start somewhere Rin. Even I had to go through the exact same things that you are going through right now." Green orbs darted around the area before coming back to Rin. "I was scared when my Shishou told me that I was going to start working at the hospital. I was afraid that I would make a mistake and someone would be hurt because of it." Sakura's eyes softened as she recalled the memories of her first few steps as a medic. She had been desperate to find a way to be of use... She could relate to Rin's feelings entirely. "I was so desperate to be of use to my team that I dedicated myself to becoming the best medic that I could! And even though I made mistakes I never gave up! Even when I was afraid I kept moving forward. I refused to be left behind by my teamates ever again. So even though I was afraid I dove into my hospital work head first. I worked through the mistakes I made and improved. And now here I am!" Sakura stopped and turned to face Rin. "What I'm trying to say is... Never give up! You have to move forward through all the obstacles if you ever want to overcome all your shortcomings. I believe in you Rin. And I know your team does too." She had reached out and flicked the shocked girl affectionately in the forehead as Tsunade used to do to Naruto. "I don't want to hear anymore doubts from you Rin! You have become such a strong girl in the short time that I have known you. You have nothing to be ashamed, or embarassed about. Just try your best! That's all we expect from you!"

Rin wanted to cry at Sakura's words. Just knowing that Sakura had been just like her once filled her with hope. Sakura had perservered and transformed into the powerful Kunoichi in front of her. If Sakura could do it then she knew she could. All her doubts in herself had vanished and she was filled with determination. She would not allow her fears to hold her back anymore! She would become a proud kunoichi like her Sensei! She wrapped her arms around Sakura in a hug. "Thank you Sensei." She whispered against Sakura's flak jacket.

"No problem Rin." Sakura replied as she returned Rin's hug. She looked up after feeling a prescense watching them. She wanted to growl at the smiling blonde in front of her for ruining the moment between them. But it would have to wait until later.

"You two are really getting along." Minato stated easily as he watched his student quickly pull away from Sakura. He had come to find the two of them and had stumbled across them while they had been too engrossed in conversation to sense him. It had been an emotional talk for them both from what he had heard. He knew that Rin had needed to hear what Sakura had said to her. He knew that it would have an insurmountable effect on Rin.

"Shut up Minato!" Said blonde brightened at hearing his name and it caused her to hiss angrily. Being around Minato caused her pain because he reminded her of Naruto. But at the same time it brought her happiness because he possessed everything good that Naruto had possessed. She could understand it seeing as how he was Naruto's father. 'Well he might not be this time around if we don't get him a girlfriend soon!' Inner quipped irritably. She seemed to not like the thought of her precious Minato-kun dating any girl... "Did you need something or are you just stalking me?" An amused smirk lit up her face at the insulted look on Minato's face.

"I don't stalk you! And I actually came to find you because we need to report to the Hokage for a mission!" He defended himself. Where she got the notion of him stalking her he did not know... Now the fact that she was partially right... Well let's leave that discussion for later...

An excited squeal escaped Sakura's mouth at the mention of a mission! "Well what are we waiting for?! Let's go!" She shouted excitedly as she grabbed onto the blonde's flak jacket and dragged him after her. "I'll have to Hokage tell Shiori about your hospital work Rin! Take care while we're gone!" Sakura shouted over her shoulder to the girl. She had almost forgotten about her in her excitement...

"Ok Sensei! Both of you be safe on your mission!" Rin called before her Senseis dissapeared from her sight. She brought her hand up to stifle her giggles as she recalled the indignant yet happy look on Minato Sensei's face as he was dragged away. Those two had a really strange relationship.

Sakura knocked on the door to the Hokage's office before a 'come in' signaled that she could enter. Still dragging her blonde companion behind her she entered the room. Jiraiya stood off to the side of the room next to the window, while Kakashi stood right in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Ahh Sakura, Minato I'm glad that you finally showed up!" A deep rumbled escaped Hiruzen's lips as he took in the Minato's dangling position behind the pinkette. From the corner of his eye he noticed Jiraiya's attempts so stifle his laughter.

"Sorry Lord Hokage Minato just found me after I got done training Rin!" Sakura explained as she unceremoniously let go of said blonde causing him to fall to the ground. She ignored Minato's indignant sqwack and instead focused on the Third's amused face.

"Shall I go ahead and explain your mission objectives?" He waited until he had all of their attention before continuing. "Your mission is an A ranked retrieval mission. You need to enter the land of stone and retrieve a scroll that Kumo shinobi have taken from a small clan village in the Land of Fire. The scroll contains special jutsu known to the Kouga clan, and it is imperative that we get it back. We aren't sure how many ninja were involved in the theft of the scroll so the more you expect the better prepared you are. You leave immediately. Dismissed!"

The group met back up at the gate a half an hour later after they had finished preparing for their mission. Not a word was exchanged as they quickly took to the trees.

Sakura reveled in the feeling of freedom as she flew from branch to branch. She had really missed having the wind flowing through her hair, while it caressed her skin. A bright smile lit up her face as she looked towards the sun. There really was no other way to travel. She would miss this one day...

They had traveled all day and all night before finally settling down near the border to the land of stone. Their pace had been back breaking and each of them was really feeling the effects of the exertion. They quickly built a fire and settled in for the night. Tomorrow they would be encountering enemy ninja so rest was essential.

"I'll take first watch, Jiraiya can take second, and Kakashi takes third." Minato ordered as everyone settled down to sleep. He quickly jumped into a tall tree at the edge of the clearing for a better vantage point.

'At least he will keep Jiraiya from molesting us in our sleep." Inner said sounding relieved. Her comment caused Sakura to glance over at the Sannin curiously. He had his back to her as he laid in his sleeping roll on the other side of the clearing. "Good if he values his life he'll stay over there." Sakura thought to herself before she let sleep claim her.

Bright sunlight filtered in through the clearing and invaded her senses. Green eyes opened slowly only to slam back shut at the intensity of the sunlight. "Too bright..." Sakura groaned as she attempted to move onto her other side, only to find that she couldn't move. "What the...?" She breathed as she pulled the blankets up and came face to face with Jiraiya. Her response was instinctual really... She shrieked and punched the pervert across the clearing and through a tree. "YOU PERVERT!" She roared practically spitting fire. Through her peripherals she noticed Minato stir as Kakashi jumped down from his treetop vigil. She was shaking in barely surpressed anger. It took all she had not to kill him at that moment.

Rubbing sleep from his eyes Minato took in his Sensei's broken form across the clearing. His teacher would never learn... He stumbled to his feet and made his way over towards Sakura. "What did he do now?" He asked mindful to keep his distance from the pink haired kunoichi. Killing intent was rolling off of her in waves and he reluctantly admitted that he feared for his Sensei's life. Whatever he had done this time had royally pissed their teamate off on a whole new level.

"He snuck into my sleeping bag! Does he even care that we're on a life threatening mission?! NO! HE STILL FINDS TIME TO GROPE ME!" A vain popped as her anger reached the breaking point. A feral shriek was their only warning before she pounced on Jiraiya and started to beat him mercilessly.

Blue eyes caught his teacher rubbing his sore jaw as they sped through the trees. If he was being honest with himself his Sensei deserved it for sneaking into Sakura's sleeping bag, so he hadn't intervened to save him. He would also admit that he was a little frightened at the prospect of Sakura turning her fury on him instead... He turned his attention back to his surroundings. They would be nearing their destination soon and they couldn't afford any distractions.

Jiraiya held out his hand as a signal for the others to stop. They immediately masked their chakra and his in the treetops. His student moved forward to stand beside him as they surveyed the hideout. "Two guards at the entrance... I fell at least a dozen chakra signatures inside..." He mused out loud, his student silently agreed.

"We could catch the two guards in a sleeping genjutsu and take them out quietly. Then we could move in and split up into pairs to cover more ground. If we do that then we shouldn't engage unless absolutely necesary." His teacher nodded his acceptance to the plan as he turned to adress Sakura, and Kakashi. "You guys hear that? When we move in Sakura you're with me, and Kakashi is with Jiraiya. Sakura." He called catching her attention.

Her name was all she needed to hear to understand what he wanted her to do. She moved forwards quickly performing the handsigns for a powerful sleeping genjutsu. The effects could be seen quickly as the two ninja slumped and fell to the ground. They moved in as Jiraiya quickly killed the guards with a small burst of chakra to each of their skulls. Quickly checking for any shakra signatures and finding none, they proceeded inside the base and split up.

Sakura spared Kakashi, and Jiraiya one last look before she followed after Minato. "The team leader probably has the scroll so we should head towards the strongest chakra signature." Sakura reasoned as she kept pace with her blonde teamate.

"Sounds like a good plan. That's where the scroll would be the safest." Minato agreed as they turned another corner after making sure it was clear. He could already feel a strong chakra signature near the center of the compound and he smirked at the predictibility of Kumo shinobi. His thoughts faltered when he felt several chakra signatures moving to intercept them. He stopped abruptly and armed himself with one of his special kunai. "Since when had anything ever gone to plan..." He noticed that Sakura had armed herself with her gloves, and kunai.

"At least we don't have to worry about getting rusty..." She shivered in anticipation of the battle ahead as six Kumo nin appeared before them. She smirked as three charged her head on. One released a flurry of kunai and shuriken in her direction which she easily dodged, as another charged her and kicked out at her legs. She did a front flip over the bulky man and spun in midair to deliver a chakra enhanced kick to his head. His body impacted the ground as it exploded into a shower of debris. "One down... Two more to go!" She smirked at the petrified looks on the two men's faces. She dashed forward and struck the smaller of the two men in the chest with her fist sending him careening into the his teamate right before they impacted the wall. She watched the wall topple over onto the two of them as they laid stationary on the ground. "Well that was boring..." She groaned they hadn't even landed one hit on her! What kind of ninja were they? She shrugged her shoulders in dissapointment as she turned to watch Minato finish off the last of his enemies. "These ninja infiltrated the Kouga clan's territory and stole a scroll containing their clan's secret jutsu?" She asked incredulously. These ninja couldn't have even been above chunin rank!

"I don't know how they managed to pull it off but they did." Minato agreed with her thoughts on the ninja guarding the scroll. He didn't know how such weak ninja had managed to steal a scroll from one of Konoha's strongest clans. He sent out his chakra to scan the area for his student, and Sensei. He found their signatures engaged in battle with three other ninja. 'They must have taken out the rest.' He mused as he focused on Kakashi's signature. His eyes widened in alarm as he realized his student's chakra signature was weakening! "Shit!" He cursed as he took off in their direction.

"Minato what's wrong?!" Sakura asked noticing the panicked look on his face. He didn't bother to answer her question so she sent out her chakra to scan for their teamates. Her blood ran cold as she sensed Kakashi's flickering signature. She pushed her legs to move faster adrenaline fueling her. She wouldn't let him die! When she had joined team seven she had swore to protect all of them! She just prayed that he wouldn't give up until they got to him.

Jiraiya panted heavily as he pulled his hand from the lead ninja's chest. His skin had been stronger then stone so he had had to resort to using the rasengan to finish him off. The scroll was the least of his worries as he spun around to face his teamate. He knelt down beside the boy and surveyed his injuries. Kakashi's stomach had a gaping hole in it from where the lead ninja had shoved his fist through it. His organs were hanging frim his limp body. He doubted that even Sakura could heal this... Hell Tsunade couldn't have even healed this! He was pulled from his grim thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. He locked eyes with his student as he and Sakura turned the corner. He didn't say anything as the two knelt down besides Kakashi.

Sakura assessed the damage with a trained eye. Carnage... That one word described the gaping hole in Kakashi's stomach. She wasted no time in bringing her chakra coated hands up to begin healing Kakashi. "I won't let him die!" She growled out as she poured even more chakra into the wound. She had to heal the wound while she created new blood at the same time, otherwise he would bleed out. Her brow furrowed in concentration as the wound stitched itself back together. She poured more chakra in to heal the damaged organs, and entrails ensuring that he would not suffer from internal bleeding. His heart beat weakly under her hands before stopping completely. "DAMN!" She cried out as she moved her hands to his chest and shocked his heart. A hand grasped her shoulder to comfort her but she shook it off.

Minato watched the life flicker from his student's eyes while he was helpless to do anything. He felt immense sorrow as he watched Sakura continue to try to revive Kakashi... But he knew it was too late... She had healed his wounds but the trauma had been too much for his body to take and his heart had given out... "Sakura..." He whispered brokenly as said kunoichi fucused solely on his dead student. He never thought that Kakashi would... His eyes widened as a blue light erupted from Sakura's hands. 'That's not healing jutsu...' It was a jutsu that he had never seen before...

Sakura gritted her teeth as she released her yin seal. Chakra flooded her body while she quickly tranfered it into Kakashi. She thanked Lady Chiyo for giving her the idea of creating a ressurection jutsu of her own. With this jutsu she had intended it to be used in conjunction with her yin seal release. She hoped that the surplus of chakra would preserve her life... "But if not..." She thought to herself as she watched the color return to Kakashi's face. "It's still worth it..." She sighed as the world began to darken around her. The last thing she saw was Kakashi's eyes flickering open before she succumbed to the darkness. 


	7. Chapter 7

Alright I decided to go ahead and start another chapter immediately following the last. I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. There will be some serious character relationship development in this chapter! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

Minato stared down the the pinkette as she laid in the hospital bed. They had been back in the Leaf Village for over three days now and she still had not woken up yet. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked towards his student who stood beside him. Kakashi was obviously feeling guilt over how he had treated Sakura since she had started coming around. He felt guilty because even knowing how he had treated her, Sakura had still risked her life to save him. She had healed his injuries completely, and brought him back to life. His eyes roamed back to Sakura's still form as he pondered the jutsu she had used. It was one that was unlike anything he had seen before... He decided to ask her about it when she awoke. "Kakashi?" His voice startled the young boy who seemed to be too lost in his own thoughts. "She wanted to save you no matter what. So don't feel guilty about her choice. She wouldn't want you to." He stated truthfully. That was just the kind of woman Sakura was.

"After the way I treated her I wouldn't have blamed her for giving up on me. She saved me after I treated her so badly!" His body quivered with barely surpressed tears. He hadn't cried since his father had killed himself, but it was taking everything in him to not break down. He promised himself that when she woke up he would treat her better. She deserved that at least. Both men's heads snapped up as a soft groan escaped from Sakura's lips.

Her head felt like it was about to explode, the pain was excrutiating. Eyelids struggled to open as if they were being held down by stones. Bright green eyes immediately snapped shut at the onslaught of bright light in the room. Sakura let out another groan as she brought a glowing green hand to her forehead to ease the throbbing pain. The pain lessened in intensity until she had dulled it completely. She forced her eyes open again and met a concerned pair of sky blue eyes staring down at her.

"Sakura?" Minato questioned the groggy kunoichi. Relief had filled him when he heard her release a sign that she was still alive. Her green eyes wandered around the room before coming back to settle on him again. She struggled to sit up but he pushed her back down by her shoulders. "You shouldn't move yet Sakura. You've been unconcious for over three days." He told her as he situated her back into the bed.

"Three days...?" She rasped out her throat feeling parched. She brought a hand to her throat in a vain attempt to ease the burning. "Water..." She rasped again. Her eyes followed Minato as he grabbed her a glass and filled it before handing it to her. She gulped the water down in one go, a satisfied hum escaping her lips as the burning ache was erased. She placed the glass on her nightstand before turning back to face Minato, and Kakashi. A bright smile lit up on her face when she noticed the young boy standing next to Minato. "It worked... Thank god..." She breathed quietly and brought a hand up to her chest. "How are you feeling?" She noticed that Kakashi looked disturbed at her question.

"Am I okay?" The young jonin asked incredulously. "You're the one who used some weird jutsu to save me. You almost died in the process!" Sometimes he questioned the way the female mind worked... She almost dies to save him... An ungrateful boy who had turned down her attempts at friendship at every turn. It just did not make sense to him! "Why did you do that?" He asked angrily.

Sakura smiled gently at the conflicted boy. He really did not understand that his teamates cared about him... didn't understand that she cared about him... "I saved you because you're my teamate, and because you're one of my precious people." She giggled at the dumbstruck look that crossed his features. She decided that she rather liked that expression on his face.

"One of your precious people?! I've been nothing but an ass to you! I shunned you and the others from the very beginning, yet you still risk your life to save me?! Why?!" He shouted frustration lacing his tone.

"It doesn't matter what you did to me Kakashi. You will always be one my the most important people to me. That's the only reason I need..." She answered easily. She had held him in her arms while he had died in her time... She couldn't bare to do that again... "No matter how you treat me it won't change how I look at you. Sometimes we have to close ourselves off to protect ourselves from pain... I know that as well as anyone so I won't hold it against you." She hoped that he would see that you needed to let people in... Because it was a really lonely world without anyone to call a friend.

He stared wide eyed at the woman in front of him. She wouldn't hold it against him? She was willing to disregard everything he had done to her just like that? He had completely misjudged her from the beginning... He had seen her as nothing more then another person who would turn their back on him whenever they deemed him too much trouble to deal with. But she had proved to him that not all people were like that. He owed her more than he could ever express. "Thank you..." He looked her right in the eyes to convey all that he was thanking her for. He promised to treat her and his team better from now on. She had taught him that.

"You're welcome." She could see him changing right in front of her and it reminded her of the way he looked at her when he was her sensei, and she was his student. A throat clearing snapped her out of her staring contest with mini Kakashi, and her eyes shot over to Minato. Who she had forgotten was there...

"Kakashi head on home, Sakura and I need to talk." His tone left no room for argument and his student sensed it.

"Bye sensei. Bye Sakura." He knew better than to argue with his sensei when he spoke to him in that voice... So he bid the two farewell before taking his leave. Maybe he would go and visit his teamates...

Sakura watched Kakashi leave before turning her attention back to Minato. "We need to talk? About what?" She stared wide eyed at the blonde who had remained silent. Normally Inner would have commented about what was going on but she was strangely silent. Maybe she was mad at Sakura too...

"Sakura... Promise me that you will never use that jutsu again." He demanded fiercely. His eyes turned steely in anger as she shook her head at his request. He had seen what the jutsu had done to her and he knew she had been lucky. He was curious as to what jutsu it was but his need to protect her took prescendense over everything else at that moment. He had already admitted to himself that he was falling for the pinkette... It had only made him realize how much he cared about her when she was almost taken from him.

"I can't promise you that Minato... Because if one of you dies... I'll do everything in my power to bring you back... No matter the cost to myself. I refuse to let my loved ones die again." She hadn't been able to save Naruto... She hadn't had this jutsu back then. But if she had then she would've saved him without a second thought. She would do the same for Minato if it came down to it, because he was Naruto's only hope of being born. 'And you care about him...' Inner supplied finally making herself known. She would have argued with her... But she knew that Inner was right about her feelings for Minato. Not that she would ever admit it out loud... She would not love another as she had Sasuke, or Naruto... She would never betray them like that no matter how much her heart ached.

"Do you think that any of us would want to see you die Sakura?! Do you think that Rin, or Obito, or even Kakashi would be thankful for their lives if they knew you had sacrificed yours to make sure that they lived? Do you think I would be okay with that?!" The thought of a world without Sakura killed him on the inside. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she died for him... "Do you think I want to live in a world where you don't exist? You've become such a big part of my life that I wouldn't know what to do with myself if you weren't there every morning when I woke up! I care about you Sakura... Please don't make me live without you..." His blue eyes locked with her green ones and he could see the shock in them.

'Is he admitting his love for us?!' Inner asked seriously which surprised Sakura. She didn't want to accept it if he did... It would hurt her too much to just accept him after she had rejected Naruto's love so cruelly. But why did his words make her feel so warm, and comforted at the same time? She cursed her conflicting emotions as she tried to sort out what they meant. She cared about him...that much was true. But she couldn't just let herself love him... She couldn't do that to Naruto... She would have to push him away...it was the only choice she had. "Minato I can't accept your feelings..." Her heart clenched at the hurt look that crossed his face.

"Why?" His voice broke as he stared at her. Her words had wounded him more then even Kushina's betrayal had... Did he really love her that much?

"I had a friend that loved me more than anything in the world... He was always there for me when I needed him... But I could never love him the way he deserved because I was heartbroken about another man. The one I had loved had rejected me... I knew the pain that it caused and yet I still subjected my friend to that same pain... And when he smiled at me when he died I knew that he understood... I knew that he still loved me through everything I put him through. So I promised that I would never love again. So please don't make this any harder for me then it already is..." Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as she laid her heart out to him. She just prayed that he wouldn't crush it.

His heart really did break for Sakura. It was clear to him that she loved her friend even after his death. But he also knew that if her friend loved her as much as she said he did, then he would want her to be happy. He knew that feeling better then anyone... He had loved Kushina after everything that she had done. He had been willing to forgive her for the pain she had put him through... And he had also been willing to let her go if it made her happy. He could relate to Sakura's friend in that respect. It seemed he could also relate to the feelings the man had for a Sakura because he shared them. "If he loved you as much as you say he did then he wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. If he loved you then he would be pissed at what you're denying yourself in life! You're denying yourself a family Sakura! If he loved you like I loved Kushina then he would want you to have that even if it wasn't with him!"

She knew that he spoke the truth... After all Naruto had sacrficed his happiness and dedicated his life to bringing Sasuke back to her, even though it destroyed him inside. How could she just leave him behind when he had loved her so completely? How could she do the same thing to him with Minato that she had with Sasuke? "How could I ever forgive myself if I moved on?" Her painfilled eyes locked with his silently pleading for the answers she needed.

"Forgive yourself by moving on Sakura... I'm sure that it's what he wants you to do. He would want you to stop hurting yourself like this..." He wasn't just saying this because he wanted her. He would be telling her this even if she moved on with someone who wasn't him. As long as she was happy it was all he wanted.

Tears leaked even faster from her eyes as broken sobs started falling from her lips. She had locked the pain up as best she could but eventually it had to break free. She cried even after she felt his arms wrap around her. She cried because she knew he was right. She cried because she knew that her own feelings for Naruto were keeping her locked in the pain. She cried because she loved Naruto... She loved him and she had never told him... She cried because she would never get the chance... She cried because even though she loved Naruto, she wanted to be with Minato. She wanted to move on and forget about the pain...

He just held her as she sobbed for all she was worth. She was mourning her friend, mourning all the feelings that she felt that she could never express to him. She was finally releasing the pain and guilt she was feeling, and he wouldn't stop her. After what felt like an eternity she finally quieted down to quiet sniffles against his flak jacket. "Feeling better?" He asked quietly as he rubbed her back. A nod of her head was the only response to his question.

"You're an idiot..." Her voice was muffled by his flak jacket, but she was sure he could hear her perfectly if his soft chuckle was an indication. A relieved smile spread across her lips. He had made her realize how stupid she had been with her choices. Naruto would be furious if he knew she was denying herself happiness. Minato reminded her of his son more and more everyday. "Maybe that's why I love you... You're so much like him..." She whispered as she pulled back to make eye contact.

"Maybe..." He agreed as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. Her lips were soft as they pressed timidly back. Her flavor was one that he quickly became addicted to. She tasted like strawberries, and vanilla... She pulled away much too soon for his taste but he didn't press her further. He just held her in his arms and reveled over the fact that she was his.

'Hey Outter?' Inner 's voice interupted Sakura's moment. "Yes?" She asked annoyed that her pesky inner spirit had bothered her. 'Does this mean that we get to be Naruto's mom?" She asked innocently. Sakura's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she turned Inner's revelation over in her head. "Oh my god... I'm going to be Naruto's mom?!" She mentally screamed. 


	8. Chapter 8

Yay they're finally together! I seriously couldn't hold off on that anymore! I wanted to prolong their get together because someone requested that it not be an immediate thing so I pushed it as long as I could. I wanted them to be together for a while before Naruto was more than a thought. Anyways on with the story! I do not own Naruto!

A giggle escaped her lips as she watched her new 'boyfriend' clamber around the kitchen in an apron. She bit her lips to stifle her laughter as he pinned her with a playful glare. She and Minato had only been together for a few days but it seemed like it had been months or years. He was so caring towards her that it embarassed her. She really didn't know how she was supposed to respond to all of his gestures, she had never even dated before. Her inexperience made her shy away from more intimate contact. In fact she hadn't even kissed him since that day at the hospital... She wondered how Ino had managed to be so fearless in her relationship with Sai. The blonde had no qualms about dragging him away from training so that she could have her way with him, and she made sure that everyone knew about it. "How did she do it...?" She sighed and bowed her head so that it was resting against her knees.

Minato paused in the midst of preparing breakfast and studied Sakura's form. She seemed at odds with herself over the last few days. He hoped that she wasn't having second thoughts about their new relationship. That couldn't be it, she had seemed like a new person since they had gotten together. She had finally come to terms with the guilt she felt over her lost friend and that was good. "But what could be bothering her?" He asked himself as he placed their plates on the table. Whatever it was that was bothering her, he hoped she would open up to him about it. "Sakura breakfast is ready." He called catching her attention. He watched as she slowly pulled herself off of the couch and walked to the table to take her seat. He quickly situated himself in the chair next to her but he didn't touch his food. His eyes stayed trained on her every move, as if he was trying to figure out from her body posture what was wrong. She kept her head bowed as she ate, and she refused to make eye contact. He was starting to worry that she really did regret her choice to be with him.

She felt him watching her as she ate, but she refused to look at him. What was she supposed to do now that he was her boyfriend? For the first time in a very long time she had found a situation that even she wasn't prepared for. 'Cha! Just kiss him senseless!' Inner roared and pumped her fists. "I can't just kiss him! I'm probably bad at it!" A blush lit up her cheeks at the thought, and she studiously ignored the curious glance he sent her way. She swore that Inner was just trying to ensure that her cheeks would never regain their normal coloring.

His curiosity was peaked when her face suddenly lit up in a furious blush. "What is she thinking about?" He wondered. "Sakura?" Her head snapped up and her eyes met his the deep blush still coloring her cheeks. "You've been acting strange the last few days... Are you okay?" He asked her as his hand snaked out to wrap around hers. He noticed the way she flinched at the contact, and his eyes pleaded with her to be honest.

She knew that he had felt her body jolt at the soft contact of his hand on hers. It wasn't that she disliked it, she just was unsure how to respond to it. She had been warring with herself for days over how she should act around him. She had never had a boyfriend before so everything felt foreign, and strange to her. The look in his eyes beckoned her to tell the truth so she did...even though she was embarassed to admit what was bothering her. "I've never had a boyfriend before... I was always too busy with training, or hospital work, or missions to even bother with boys... Not that anyone ever had my interest before. Well except for...you know..." She stuttered in embarassment. Her insecuritites about her inexperience was really making things hard on her. It was especially difficult because she knew that he had much more experience then she did. She was worried about how he would react once he realized that she knew next to nothing about romance.

That's what she was worried about? He wanted to laugh at how utterly adorable she was being. He was actually happy that he was her first boyfriend. He would be her first everything if he had anything to say about it. Call him greedy if you want, but he couldn't help it with Sakura. "Sakura why would I be bothered by the fact that I'm your first boyfriend?" He chuckled at the stupified look on her face. She really was too cute for her own good. "If makes me happy if anything. It means that I get to be your first everything." He cupped her left cheek in his hand and brought their faces closer together, his thumb running over her red cheek. "So don't be afraid to try anything with me. I won't ever push you away, or shun you. I promise." To prove his point he closed the distance between them and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He pulled away after several seconds to gaze down at her. She had brought her fingers up and was fingering her lips softly.

She didn't think that she would ever get used to the electric jolt that went through her body when he touched, or kissed her. She hadn't even felt that when she had been touched by Sasuke. He made her want to come back for more, which is what she did. Feeling emboldened she quickly leaned up and pressed her lips against his. She cocked her head to the side and parted his lips with her tongue slipping it inside to brush against his. She wasn't sure when she had become so confident... Maybe it was just something about him? All she knew was that she didn't want to stop.

He would have been content to just kiss her all day but he did have to train with his team today. With much reluctance he drew back from her. He smirked at the little whine that escaped her lips at the loss of contact. She really did know how to make it hard for him... "As much as I would love to continue we have team training today... We can always continue after we come back home." He promised her as he quickly gathered the dishes to put them in the sink. She was pouting at him and he knew it, but she would just have to deal. He had already neglected his team for a week because he had been busy caring for her. He slipped an arm over her shoulder as they exited his apartment. As he locked the door he noticed his neighbor Shin shooting Sakura innapropriate looks. He quickly wrapped his arm around her waist to warn the other male that she was off limits. And this time he had better heed his warnings... Because he wouldn't be so nice about Sakura as he had been with Kushina. Shooting Shin one last warning look he led Sakura from the building and onto the streets of Konoha.

"Hey Minato?" Sakura called catching his attention. "I want to stop at the hospital real quick. I want to ask Shiori about how Rin did while I was gone."

"Sure thing! I'm actually curious to know as well." He mused as he led the pinkette in the direction of the hospital.

He had not known what to expect when he entered Konoha's hospital not having been there much himself... But he could safely say that it was a madhouse. As soon as he and Sakura had walked through the door a nude elderly man had run by screaming about pudding. He had looked to Sakura and she had not looked surprised to see that naked people were running around the hospital lobby. Children screamed that they didn't want their shots and the sound nearly defened him.

"Sakura-san thank goodness you're here!" Shiori panted as she ran up to them. "Someone forgot to get Akitoki his pudding... Now he's running around naked and he won't stop! None of us can catch him! Help..." She begged pathetically.

"I'm not supposed to be working but I will help you catch him... If only to preserve the minds of these innocent children." Sakura sighed exasperatedly. Akitoki was a real piece of work! One time he had taken a nurse hostage with a scalpel because she had entered his room without a cup of pudding for him... She was tempted to put him in a straight jacket... "Come on he's probably on the third floor..." She stalked off towards the stairs, Shiori and Minato hot on her heels. As she set foot on the third floor she heard a commotion from the breakroom.

"WHERE THE PUDDING AT?!" The three heard Akitoki shout followed by a loud bang.

"Just let me talk to him... Don't say anything." Sakura ordered as she walked down the hall to the breakroom door. "Akitoki? I'm coming in!" She announced as she opened the door. She immediately regretted it as she got an eye full of the old man's nude body... He had pushed the coffee table against the counter and was standing on it as he dug through the cabinets. He was shaking in absolute fury as he turned to face her.

"THEY FORGOT MY PUDDING! I WANT MY GODDAMN PUDDING!" He roared as he made his way to the fridge and began tossing everyone's lunches out of it. "GIMYGODAMPUDDING!" He yelled uninteligibly.

Sakura sighed as she walked past him and opened a cupboard that she had hidden a secret stash of pudding in. She figured that it was the best place because he always came to the breakroom when he went into one of his rages. "Akitoki..." She called out as she held the chocolate pudding up for him to see. He ceased the destruction immediately and ran up to Sakura to grab the pudding from her hands. She put her hands on her hips as she peered down at the man. "You have your pudding, now head on back to your room and get dressed!" She ordered with finality as she pointed towards the door. He obeyed her and without a word he exited the room. "That man... At least he didn't take anyone hostage this time..." She groaned as she surveyed the damage from his rampage. "Now to get back to the reason I came in today." She turned to face Shiori. "How did Rin do while I was gone?" She asked curiously.

"Oh Rin? She did better then I thought she would! Her training with you must be doing her a lot of good!" Shiori answered enthusiastically. The young medic had really impressed her since she had started. She followed the rules, and protocols to a letter and the patients liked her. Her healing abilities were coming along nicely as well.

"Great! Well that's what I wanted to know! Now get back to work!" Sakura ordered as she stalked past Shiori and out the door, Minato following close behind. They made their way out of the hospital and onto the streets heading towards the training grounds.

"Is the hospital like that all the time?" Minato asked incredulously. He could safely say after his visit that he never wanted to set foot in the hospital again. His brows rose at the soft laugh that escaped his girlfriend's mouth.

"Oh it gets worse! Just last week two of the elderly men got into a fight, and were beating each other with their canes... I thought they were going to kill each other!" The fight had started over her if she recalled correctly... The thought made her giggle.

"What were they fighting about?" Man it must be like elderly people world wrestling at the hospital all the time! He didn't know how Sakura handled it!

"Well... Renji announced his love for me... And Daichi struck him with his cane because Renji was trying to take his woman... It just escalated from there..." She stifled her laughter as best she could, even going so far as to bite her fist to stop them from spilling out. Of course she wouldn't have been laughing if they had seriously hurt each other. But they had 'duelled' until Sakura and Shiori had pulled them apart. The two had promptly fainted from exhaustion.

"Might as well make a reality show about the drama that happens there..." He laughed at the mental image that Sakura's story had painted in his head. "They didn't hurt each other I hope?"

"No. Shiori and I managed to pull them apart before any damage was done. After we pulled them apart they both fell asleep." She answered him as they came up to the training grounds. Her attention was drawn to Minato's students. Kakashi was actually making an effort to talk to them, if Obito's disturbed face was any indication...

"Sakura Sensei! Minato Sensei!" Rin called out after she noticed both of them standing at the edge of the training ground. She left her other teamates behind as she ran forward to embrace Sakura in a hug. "I heard that you weren't well! Are you feeling better? I would have come to see you but I had hospital work!" She hastily explained as she pulled away from Sakura.

"No it's fine Rin, I understand!" She reassured the younger girl. She looked up to see Obito approaching them and she pointed an accusing finger at him. "YOU! WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE FOR NOT COMING TO SEE ME?!" He obviously was expecting that because he stopped and immediately looked sheepish.

"I had special training with my clan..." He answered sadly. He had wanted to go visit Sakura Sensei but he couldn't because his clan was breathing down his neck about not activating his sharingan yet... He was thankful for all the training he had received, but the elders of the clan were still dissapointed in him...

Minato knew what special training Obito had taken part in... His clan couldn't seem to accept him until he unlocked his sharingan. It wasn't right because not everyone possessed it. They were pushing him at every turn, goading him, and telling him that he wasn't good enough. It wasn't right in his opinion, to put so much pressure on his student. Or maybe he just cared about Obito more than his kinsmen did. He never pushed the boy to talk about it. He knew that Obito wasn't ready yet...

"Special training? What kind?" Her ears had picked up the depressed tone of his voice, and now she was curious. Whatever could make Obito so withdrawn was something she would probably not like.

He hesitated to answer her, after all he had not even told Minato Sensei about his clan's views of him. But he trusted his team with his secrets, and insecurities more and more as time went on. "It was special training to unlock my sharingan..." He explained to his teamates, and Senseis. He noticed Sakura's understanding eyes. "So you understand? Until I unlock my sharingan I will never be accepted in my clan. It doesn't matter what I do... If you don't have sharingan you're not a true Uchiha..." He mumbled sadly. The way his clan treated him made him feel like less of a person sometimes. The only people who were nice was Aunty Mikoto, and the younger kids.

"Born an Uchiha always an Uchiha. Sharingan doesn't make the shinobi Obito. You're fine without it so don't let what they say bother you." Her heart ached at the pain she could see in Obito's eyes. The Uchiha clan truly did need to lighten up in their quest for power. Obito had the potential to be a great ninja with or without the sharingan.

He knew she was right but he was just tired of being ostracized from his clan for being less 'talented' then the other kids his age. Her words did make him feel better, but it would not change the way his kinsmen treated him. He was almost tired of striving so hard for their acceptance. Not like it would work out anyways...

"She's right Obito" Minato spoke up catching Obito's attention. "Some of the greatest ninja in the world don't even have kekkai genkai. Sakura's right, sharingan does not decided the strength of a ninja. Just look at Sakura, and I. We don't have any special kekkai genkai and we're top ranked ninja." He said gesturing to himself, and the pinkette.

Obito couldn't help but smile at his Sensei. His team were the only people who were truly like family to him. The accepted him flaws and imperfections, and they always pushed him to be his best. "Thanks Sensei I really needed to hear that."

"Anytime Obito! Now let's get training!" His team snapped to attention. "Obito, and Kakashi will be sparring with each other. And Rin will be sparring with me." The two boys shot worried looks at their female teamate before they wandered off to engage in their own spar. "Come on Rin." He gestured for the brunette to follow him onto the field. He passed by an amused looking Sakura as he led Rin to the other side of the field from Kakashi, and Obito.

"Good luck Rin!" Sakura called as she settled down to watch her student, and boyfriend spar. Hopefully Minato would push Rin for all she was worth. But she knew that Rin had a few tricks up her sleeve for Minato... 'He's going to be surprised!' Inner cackled evily as she too focused on the spar.

Rin eyed her sensei as he smiled at her from across the field. In the blink of an eye he was gone and she searched the field desperately for some sign of him. A hand grabbed her ankle from below and she quickly pulled her fist back and snapped it downward shattering the ground beneath her. It was a miniscule amount of damage compared to Sakura's chakra enhanced strength but it was enough to make her sensei release her ankle. Minato jumped out from the small crater in the ground and eyed Rin. Sakura had been teaching her more than just medical jutsu... It was obvious that she had not perfected her chakra enhanced strength yet, but he had to admit that it was good thinking on her part. He had most definitely not been expecting it... He watched as Rin dashed forward and hurled kunai at him which he easily dodged, before he dashed forward and threw his fist out and struck her in the stomach. She dissapeared in a poof of smoke and he pushed his chakra out to search for her. His eyes snapped open as he felt her approaching him rapidly from behind, and he twisted his body out of the way a split second before a chakra enhanced punch had the chance to impact him. Rin's fist impacted a tree that he had been standing in front of splitting it in half. He ducked down and kicked out knocking her off her feet. She spun in midair and kicked out at his face, only for him to dodge it a split second before it connected. Her heel slammed into the ground causing it to split and break. Her reflexes kicked in and she narrowly dodged a kunai that her sensei had swiped at her face. She ran forward and summoned two clones as she quickly circulated chakra throughout her body to increase her speed. The clones ran forward and poofed right in Minato's face obscurring his vision. Rin snapped her fist forward and it connected with Minato's body.

"Gotcha!" She cried in excitement. 'Poof' her sensei's body dissapeared and a split second later a kunai was pressed to her throat. "I thought I had you..." She mumbled as Minato pulled his kunai away from her throat.

"I'm impressed with how far you've come Rin. You've grown so much in such a short time." He ruffled her hair playfully earning a halfhearted glare from the girl. She had lasted twice as long in this spar as she ever had before. Sakura's teaching was really paying off. It wasn't just that though, Rin's determination was fuelling her to get stronger. He had no doubt that if she continued down this path she would become a formidable kunoichi just like Sakura.

"Whoa Rin you were awesome!" Obito yelled as he approached Rin, and his sensei. He and Kakashi had stopped halfway through their spar when they had felt the earth rumble, and shake. Imagine their surprise when they saw that it was Rin's doing! "Did Sakura sensei teach you that? Can you teach me?" He asked excitedly.

"Loser it takes more chakra control then you have to use chakra enhanced strength! That means that Rin is better then you!" Kakashi mocked him as he came to stand next to the group. He turned to face his female teamate. "Good job Rin. I mean it, you did great." His compliment made her cheeks flush for some reason... He noticed Obito fuming at him from the corner of his eye.

"You still need to work on your timing Rin, but you still did very well." Sakura commented as she made her way over. She had analyzed Rin as she fought and had found the flaw in her chakra enhanced attacks. "You need to release your chakra at the exact moment of impact. You were releasing it a few seconds too soon. That's why it didn't cause as much damage." She drew attention to the problem so that Rin could take the time to rectify the problem. Sakura herself had had the same problem early on in her training so she knew exactly what Rin was doing wrong.

"Okay I'll work on it!" Rin's eyes blazed in determination. Both of her senseis had complimented her for her efforts and it felt good. But they had also done their jobs by making sure she was aware of what she needed to improve on. Next time she would make sure she had it down.

"You know what a hard day's worth of sparring calls for? BARBEQUE!" Obito screamed as he ran off towards the barbeque restaurant.

"So much for training more..." Kakashi groaned as he and Rin followed after their hyperactive teamate.

Minato turned his attention to Sakura as she came to stand beside him. "You up for some barbeque?" He asked already knowing the answer.

"Only if you promise not to make me sit between Obito and Kakashi again! Last time I couldn't even eat because I had to act as the mediator so that they wouldn't kill each other!" She laughed at the memory of how it had turned into an all out war between the two. She had been completely covered in food by the end of it, and Minato wouldn't let her live it down.

"Of course I won't! You get to sit next to me!" He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before he pulled away and wrapped an arm around her waist, before he led her in the direction his team had gone in. "I kinda feel bad for Rin though... She'll have to play mediator this time..." They both laughed out loud at the thought. 


	9. Chapter 9

Alright here's another chapter! Before I start I wanted to say a few things about the flow of the events in this story. First of all Kushina will be making an appearance at some point. Second Sakura will be having encounters with Orochimaru, Danzo, and several Akatsuki members. I haven't quite worked everything out yet, but I will be writing chapters dedicated to these characters and their interactions with Sakura. Any input is much appreciated, and everything will be taken into consideration. Another thing that I would like to say is that there will be a lot of time skips in this story, some will be very substantial. After all if I wrote a chapter for every single day of Sakura's life then we would never get to the end. These time skips will center around major events mostly so they won't happen in succession. I want to thank everyone for the positive reviews! Now on with the story! I do not own Naruto!

"That's it Rin... Just a little more... Focus on the precision." Sakura coaxed the Chunin who was busy healing a rather nasty gash on one of their patients legs. She watched the skin and cells knit themselves back together slowly under Rin's hands. The girl was actually doing very well in healing minor, to moderately severe injuries. She reminded Sakura so much of herself when she was that age.

Rin's brow furrowed in concentration as she pushed a little bit more chakra into the wound careful not to destroy the cells. The wound began closing at a much faster rate until it had closed completely. Sitting back she wiped the sweat that had beaded at her brow away. Sakura had had her working hard all day long. She couldn't complain though, all the training was giving her much needed experience. Not to mention that the chakra exertion was stimulating her chakra coils to grow at a steady rate. She took in a deep breath through her mouth to steady her exhausted body.

Sakura eyed the exhausted Chunin from the corner of her eye as she wrote down a record for the patient's visit. As she scribbled down the last of the information she turned her head to face Rin. "You did good today Rin. You can head on home and I will see you at team training tomorrow." She smiled kindly as Rin pulled herself up and dusted her skirt off.

"Ok sensei. I will see you tomorrow!" Rin called to Sakura as she turned and walked out the door that led to the hospital lobby. Her legs felt like jelly and it was all she could do to not fall over. She just hoped that her body would adapt to how strenuous being a medical ninja was.

Sakura turned her attention back to the file and finished it up, before she turned and made her way out the door and towards her office. She entered the room and quickly made her way towards the filing cabinet to place the file in its proper place. As she was doing that she felt another prescense standing in the doorway watching her. "Aren't you the ever caring boyfriend? Coming to pick me up from work everyday? What do you think someone is going to kidnap me on my way home?" She joked as she turned to face Minato's smiling face.

"Well you are a very beautiful woman, so it is a possibility. And I wouldn't want that!" He shot back good naturedly. In the week and a half that she had been back to work he had made it a point to stop by to walk her home every night. It wasn't that he was necesarily worried about her safety, Sakura could defend herself better than most. He just didn't want to wait any longer to see her then was absolutely necesary. Call him clingy because it was true...

She would never get used to hearing that from him not that she would ever argue. It made her feel good when he said things like that to her. 'We always act so fangirly around him...' Inner cooed adoringly as she hugged a Minato doll. "No we don't! YOU DO!" Sakura argued heatedly. 'Yes but I'm a part of you! That means that subconciously you want to do the things that I do!' Inner argued back.

"The psychotic inner spirit is right Kit... You have as many issues as Naruto did..." Kurama piped up in a mocking tone. Picking on the pinkette was one of his favorite pastimes.

"Doubleteaming! That is so not fair!" Sakura groaned in defeat. A throat clearing snapped her out of her arguing with her two bodymates... "Oh sorry about that! I was thinking about something work related!" She explained to Minato's amused face. She hastily slammed the file back into the cabinet and turned to walk to his side.

"And here I was thinking that you were obsessing over me!" He teased as he slid an arm around her waist. He threw his head back and laughed at the guilty look on her face. "So you were! I knew it!" He laughed as he dragged her out the door.

"Shut up!" She growled out dangerously. She cursed the fact the she was easily flustered! Minato could always tell when she was thinking about him, and he always exploited it against her!

She was so easy for him to read that it was almost unreal! No matter how much she tried schooling her facial expression so that they wouldn't give anything away it never worked with him. It wasn't that she was bad at it! He just watched her enough to be able to decipher every little movement on her face, and decipher their meaning. Stalker behavior? Maybe... "It's ok Sakura you are allowed to do that! In fact I would be dissapointed if you didn't think about me! It would hurt my man pride!" He turned and grinned at the pinkette's scoff.

"Oh really? Well we wouldn't want to hurt you manly feelings of awesomeness now would we?" She giggled into her hand at the goofy smile that broke across his face.

"No we definitely wouldn't want that!" He agreed with her. He led her out the doors of the hospital and onto the streets of Konoha. "Want to go eat at Ichiraku's?" He asked her. They hadn't been to his favorite ramen stand in a while and he was craving some ramen.

"Are you asking me out on a date? Hmmm... What should I say?" She pretended to think really hard. He jabbed her side lightly with his finger causing her to laugh. "Alright alright! I was just playing with you! Of course I'd love to go!" She giggled out.

"Yeah that's what I thought!" He said smirking down at her. He led her the rest of the way to Ichiraku's and they walked in and took a seat. "Hey Teuchi!" Minato called out to the stand owner.

"Minato! Sakura! It's been a while since you came here! I'm happy to see you two!" Teuchi came out from the back and beamed at the couple. He smirked at their close proximity causing Sakura to blush. "Would this happen to be a date?" He waggled his eyebrows at Minato.

"Yup! I finally convinced Sakura that no other man was as awesome as me!" He smiled charismatically and draped an arm around her shoulders. He was actually surprised that Sakura was blushing even harder then she had been earlier. If you had asked him before he would have said that it was impossible.

"Ahhh well I'm happy for you! After all, it's not every man who can say that they have such a pretty ladyfriend!" His chest rumbled in a deep laugh. "What can I get you?" He asked after he had calmed down.

"Chicken ramen for me this time." Minato answered as Teuchi took his order down.

"Shrimp ramen for me will be fine." Sakura answered as Teuchi quickly left to get their orders. "You come here a lot don't you? Have you ever thought about eating at an actualy sit down restaurant?" She turned her attention to Minato at his thoughtful look.

"I have been to actual restaurant before. But if we're being truthful I like coming to Ichiraku's better. Why do you ask?" He asked her curiously. Maybe she wanted to go out to real restaurants more often. If that was the case he would have no problem accomadating her.

"I was just curious really. I actually love Ichiraku ramen, but sometimes I like to go to other places to eat. I do like to eat healthier food from time to time." She answered just as Teuchi set their ramen in front of them. She was famished after the long hospital shift so she quickly dug in, a moan escaping her lips at the delicious flavor.

Minato almost choked when she moaned like that! Didn't she know what that sound could do to a guy? "Well she is a virgin so probably not... BAD THOUGHTS! BAD THOUGHTS!" He chanted to himself as he shook off his inner pervert. "Taste good?" He asked as he turned to look at her looking sheepish.

"Mmm hmmm! I love all ramen but shrimp is my favorite!" She moaned again making his face twist in a funny way. 'What's wrong with him?' Inner asked Sakura curiously. "I have no idea... He looks like he's trying not to eat me." Sakura answered her. 'OH MY GOD HE WANTS TO EAT US!' Inner squealed excitedly. Inner's exclamation caused her to choke slightly on her ramen.

"Sakura!" Minato exclaimed after she started beating on her chest. His impure thoughts became a thing of the past as he attempted to help her by patting her back to clear up her throat. She gulped audibly and gulped in a large breath of air. "Are you alright?" Worry laced his tone as he continued rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I'm fine!" She answered quickly. "Inner I can't believe you! Are you trying to make me die from all the blood rushing to my head?! No forget that! You want me to choke to death!" Sakura spit dangerously at Inner. 'What? I just call it like I see it!' Inner huffed indignantly. "I'm going to ignore you from now on Inner! It's the only way to preserve my own life!" She effectively shoved Inner back into the dark place of her mind as she quickly turned back to Minato. "I'm ok really! I was just thinking about something!" She reassured him hastily. He looked at her unconvinced but before he had a chance to say anything a snarky female voice cut into their conversation.

"Wow Minato I had heard that you were seeing someone! I just didn't expect her to be so... Ugly..." A woman entered the ramen stand outfitted in Konoha's standard shinobi uniform. She had long red hair that was put up into a ponytail that ended at her waist, and her eyes were a vibrant purple.

"That must be Kushina!" Sakura deduced as she stared at the woman. Her heart immediately dropped through her stomach as she watched the woman who was supposed to be Naruto's mom... There was no way she could compare to Kushina look wise... The woman was absolutely stunning! And Sakura? She was as plain as they come...

"Kushina." Her name left his lips bitterly. It had been a while since he had seen her but he hadn't been bothered by the fact that she didn't talk to him anymore, in fact he had welcomed it. It gave him time to sort out his feelings. In that time he had decided that she wasn't the same Kushina he had loved... She hadn't been for a very long time, and he had no interest in taking her back even if she wanted him. He had Sakura now and she was everything Kushina was not. "I would say it's good to see you but then I would be lying. And who are you to talk down at Sakura? She's every bit as beautiful as you are!" He defended her.

"Her? Look at her Minato!" She pointed her finger sharply in the pinkette's direction. "The only thing she has going for her lookwise is her chest! Other then that she's nothing but a girl with fake pink hair, and a huge forehead! I mean have you looked at that thing?! I can't believe you want her over me!" She turned smug eyes to lock with 'Sakura' as Minato had called her. "Sakura was it? I wouldn't get too attached to Minato! Because when I come back for him, he will come to me, and he will leave you behind!" She goaded the other woman.

Sakura's famous temper finally kicked in at Kushina's words. She stood abruptly and stalked towards the other woman until she was standing chest to chest with her. "Let me tell you one thing you bitch! I do not feel threatened by YOU!" She jabbed her finger into Kushina causing her to stumble backwards. "Why would he want you when he could have me? At least I could count all the partners I have had on one hand. Can you say the same?" She took pleasure in the way Kushina's face lit up in anger. 'CHA KICK HER ASS!' Inner roared viciously. "If she takes a swing on me I'll flatten her ass!" Sakura placified Inner. "What did I hit a nerve? Did you think that I was some bitch that would just roll over and take it? Well guess again! I'm no one you want to mess with!" Green eyes flashed dangerously as she waited for the redhead to make a move.

Minato watched the scene in front of him nervously. It was only a matter of time before one of them struck out at the other. When you had two women with tempers that matched even Tsunade's it always came to that. He was proven right when Kushina swung her fist up at Sakura's face and nailed her. "Sakura!" He called out worriedly as he moved towards the pinkette. His body froze up when Sakura lifted her head for everyone to see. She looked absolutely feral! Before he knew what happened she had thrown herself at Kushina and struck her with a chakra enhanced punch that sent her flying through a nearby fruit stand. "Oh shit!" He cursed as the civilians started to scramble and hide. If they destroyed the section of the village with their fighting then the Third would be pissed that he hadn't stopped it!

Sakura smiled sadistically as the redhead tried to pull herself up from the wreckage of the once fruit stand. "Come on bitch! I even held back on that punch! Don't tell me you fight as bad as your honor your relationships!" She mocked. She went to take another step in Kushina's direction but Minato chose that moment to break them up.

"Sakura enough! Let her be shallow if that's how she wants to be! But don't stoop to her level!" Minato tried reasoning with her as he blocked her from moving forward.

"Stoop to her level? I don't think anyone can stoop that low Minato! No one gets away with sucker punching me in the face! NOW MOVE!" She roared and attempted to push past him. He wouldn't budge and she was tempted to use her chakra enhanced strength to make him move! "Why are you defending her?! What was what she was saying the truth? Do you want to go back to her now? It sure seems like it because you're protecting her!" She spat her anger getting the best of her.

"No it's not like that! I just don't want you to do something you might regret! At this rate you will kill her! And then what? You will be a criminal who kills their fellow Konoha shinobi! That's how everyone will see it!" Realization lit up her face as he looked down at her. "Let's just go home Sakura!" He took her hand and dragged her away before she had a chance to respond. He didn't even bother sparing Kushina a glance as they walked by her, she didn't deserve it.

Sakura was silent on the way back to Minato's apartment. She knew she had handled the situation badly. Minato was probably mad at her about it. As soon as they entered the apartment she ran straight to her room and locked the door. "He's going to break up with me..." The thought terrified her. She honestly didn't think she could handle having her heart broken again. 'Cha! Calm down! He's not mad at you!' Inner mentally bitch slapped her. 'He loves you! He's not going to break your heart like Sasuke did! Not that you ever dated Sasuke... But still! You need to stop thinking that everyone will hurt you!' Inner's voice tried reasoning with her. "Did you see the way he looked at me? It was like he was looking at me like he didn't even know me!" Sakura argued. 'That might actually be a good thing! But you won't know until you talk to him!' Inner scolded her.

"I agree with InnerpsychoSakura." Kurama spoke up ignoring Inner's indignant 'Hey!'. "If he was angry you would have really been able to tell... He kind of has that look to him that makes people wither away on the spot when he's pissed. I should know! I used to be inside of Kushina's body!" Kurama stated before he dissapeared into the recesses of Sakura's body.

"Really? What is with you two and doubleteaming me?" Sakura asked incredulously. Inner couldn't reply because Minato had chosen that moment to break into Sakura's argument with her two bodymates by knocking on her door.

"Sakura open the door! I'm not upset with you! I don't even know where you got that idea from!" He called hoping that she wouldn't make him break the door down. Because he would if he had to! After all the door could always be replaced... Sakura however could not be. The lock clicked a second before the door opened to reveal Sakura's tear stricken face. He stepped forward and quickly engulfed her in a hug to soothe her.

"I'm sorry for losing my temper like that! She just really got to me after saying all of that stuff! And you know that I have a really bad temper and mmph-!" Her rant was cut short when her lips were smothered by Minato's. 'Cha! HELL YEAH!' Inner shouted victoriously. There was no tongue or anything like it, just a passionate open mouthed kiss that left her breathless. Her jaw hung open even after he pulled away to take in a much needed breath.

He chuckled at the glazed look in her eyes, and her gaping mouth. "I think that conveyed the earlier point that I wasn't angry with you!" She just nodded her head dazedly.

"Yes... Whatever you say..." She answered breathlessly. She didn't even become incensed after he let out a laugh at her expense. 'I think we're about to faint...' Inner snickered lightly. Sakura's lack of a response only seemed to egg her on even more. 'Wow Minato-kun's lips are sooooo hot! Can I take over our body next time?' Sakura snapped out of her daze and sent a murderous wave of energy at Inner. "NO WAY! Think of it as punishment for tormenting me with your existense!" Sakura hissed venemously at her. She turned her attention to Minato's smug looking face. "You almost made me die from lack of oxygen!" She smacked his chest playfully.

"Sorry Sakura I have that effect on people!" He smirked cockily at her.

"Well give a girl a warning next time! Jeez!" She huffed as she wrapped her arms around his back. He smiled mischieviously down at her and it made her body freeze. 'I like that look!' Inner squealed. Sakura ignored her in favor of trying to free herself from his hold. "Wow look at the time! It's late so I should be getting to bed!" She stuttered as she tried to wrench herself from his arms. A terrified squeak escaped her lips when he spun her and pressed her against the wall. "Minato what are you doing?" She asked nervously.

"As long as I warn you it's okay, right?" He smirked lowering his face towards hers and crashing his lips on hers.

'Cha! HELL YEAH!' Inner cheered and fist pumped. "Well at least he wanred me this time..." Sakura thought blissfully as she slumped into his hold. 'YEAH THAT'S THE SPIRIT! CHA!" She tuned Inner out as she focused back on the man who was once again kissing her senseless. "Who would have thought that love could be this amazing..." 


	10. Chapter 10

Yay another chapter! I want to thank everyone for their reviews so far it really helps me out. There will be some serious time skips coming up pretty soon in this story just to let everyone know! I plan on having this story go up until Naruto is born so Sakura's pregnancy will be covered along with Minato becoming Hokage. So if it seems like everything is moving fast it is because there is a lot more to cover still. Anyways I don't want to give away too much so on with the story! I do not own Naruto!

Green eyes gazed down at the village from the stone head of the First Hokage. Children ran in the streets without a care in the world, while their parents watched on in contentment. It was so different from the world she had grown up in. No matter how many times she saw the peaceful village she still could not shake off the haunting images of what the Leaf could end up as if she was not careful. A maze of burned and broken buildings that had once been the Leaf village filled her mind with despair. Her world... She had to protect not only the people yet to be born, but the people from this time from that fate. Such a heavy burden she had taken on herself... But she would have it no other way. She had been thinking long and hard about what her first move would be now that she was able to go on missions on a regular basis. Her mind kept coming back to her Shishou. She needed to get Tsunade back in the village, if only to protect her from her own self deprecation. It was decided then. She would go to the Third and ask for a mission to retrieve Tsunade. The Leaf needed the Slug Princess, and so did Sakura. She wondered if Jiraiya, and Minato would be able to accompany her? Her prescense in this time had already affected the timeline and there was no telling what would happen on their hunt for her ever elusive teacher. She would just have to find out.

The blonde's head shot up from the scroll he was reading when he heard the front door open and close. He quickly pushed the scroll aside as he got up to greet Sakura. "Where have you been? I was wondering if you would ever come home!" He enveloped the pinkette in his arms as he kissed her chastely on the lips. Her response lacked the normal enthusiasm that she normally possessed causing him to pull away and look at her intently. "Sakura? Is something bothering you?" He asked worriedly.

She gazed up at Minato seriously causing him to tighten his hold around her. "I need to ask you for a favor." She started seriously, and he merely nodded for her to continue. "I want to talk to the Third about a mission to locate Tsunade Shishou and bring her back to the Leaf Village." She knew that her request was sudden, but she hoped he would understand how she felt about this. Tsunade loved this village more than anyone else even if she acted like she didn't care. And surely the Third would see the benefits of having Tsunade here along with Sakura. Even if Sakura had surpassed her skillwise, Tsunade had valuable experience and skill to offer. She just hoped that he would allow them to go and look for her... She missed her Shishou and wanted to see her, even if this Tsunade didn't know her. She ignored the way her heart clenched up in agony at the thought that this Tsunade wasn't really her Shishou...

"This is sudden Sakura... I'm not sure if the Third will allow it on such short notice." He trailed of uncertainly. It was apparently not the response that she had been looking for because her eyes filled with hurt, as she attempted to break out of his hold. He responded by simply tightening his arms around her to hold her in place as best he could. "I didn't say I wouldn't go! I just said that I didn't know if Hiruzen will allow it! If he says we can go then I'm with you!" He plactated her quickly.

She quickly stilled in her struggles and smirked up at him. "If he allows it? Minato you are talking to Tsunade's student. Do you really think I could survive her training if I didn't have her stubborness and determination? I will make Hiruzen agree to it..." She smirked in determination. She would have her way even if she had to beat the Hokage over the head with her boots.

An audible gulp resonated from his throat as he gazed down at the pinkette nervously. He had a feeling that the Third would meet his match on this day if he didn't agree to her request...

Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe as he stared at the three in front of his desk. Jiraiya obviously had no idea why he was here, if the look on his face was any indication. Minato just looked nervous and his eyes kept shooting to Sakura's form and back to him quickly. And Sakura? She looked like she was about to raise hell at a moment's notice. Maybe he should just get it over with? "What can I do for you three today?" He asked politely. He noted that Minato shuffled his feet nervously and backed away from the pinkette.

"Hokage-sama?" Sakura adressed him drawing his attention to her. He gestured for her to continue which she did. She steeled herself for a fight before she said what she needed to. "Hokage-sama I would like to request a mission to bring Tsunade back to the Leaf Village." Silence hung heavily in the air as the Hokage pondered her request. She could see the wheels in his head turning over all the pros, and cons of allowing them to do as she had requested.

"This is rather sudden Sakura..." He started slowly exhaling smoke from his pipe. He could see why she would want Tsunade back in the Leaf Village, but this was a large request. Their numbers were already spread thin because of the war. He didn't know if he could spare three of his best ninja on a while goose chase that might never pay off. And even if they found her, Tsunade would fight tooth and nail against coming back. Who is to say that their mission would be a success at all? "Sakura I can see why this would benefit the Leaf Village, but I cannot allow it." He held up a hand to silence her protests. "Tsunade has made her choice to leave the Village for good. Nothing you, or I can say will change her mind about coming back. Not that you could find her easily anyway. If there is one thing that Tsunade is exceedingly good at it is avoiding being found. And even if you could find her, will you just drag her back against her will? Who is to say she won't just leave again? So you see, I can't expend any men on a mission that will not turn out in our favor. I am very sorry to dissapoint you." The kunoichi in front of him flared up in fury and he knew that she was willing to put up a fight. Too bad for her that he was not willing to change his mind.

"How can you even say that?!" Sakura spat furiously. "She's a fellow Leaf shinobi! A lot of the things you said are true and we all know it! But how can you just abandon my Shishou like that?!" Hurt welled up inside her. How could the Third just abandon his student like that? How could he abandon the woman that had taken Sakura as her won after her parents had been killed when Madara destroyed the Leaf? She would not allow this to happen! "I am going Hriruzen! With or without Minato, and Jiraiya! I have an idea of where she was at this point in time, and I will bring her back with or without your consent!" She moved forward and leaned over the desk until she was at eye level with him. Her glare was cold enough to freeze hell as she stared him down.

"Sakura I can-!" Hiruzen started but was interupted when she brought her fist up and slammed it back down on his desk, effectively shattering it into pieces. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Minato take a step forward to stop Sakura but he held up a hand to stop him, before he turned his attention back to Sakura. He knew how she felt about this even if he didn't agree entirely with it. And at the risk of her swinging at him with those destructive fists he decided to go against his better judgement and allow it, on one condition. "I can see how determined you are Sakura. So I will allow you three to go and track down Tsunade, on one condition."

"Anything Hokage-sama!" Sakura readily agreed. As long as she was allowed to go and bring her Shishou home she would do anything he asked.

"You are allowed to go after Tsunade as long as you are back within a week. I know that's not a lot of time but I need you three back here for missions by that time. As long as you-!" His voice died in his throat as the pinkette who had previously destroyed his desk in anger sprung up excitement clearly expresed on her face.

"Yeah a week got it! Okay come one guys let's go!" She grabbed her two male companions by the collar and dragged them out of the room. "Bye Hokage-sama!" She called back before she slammed the door shut.

He watched her go before surveying the shattered pieces of his desk. "She really is too much like Tsunade... At least it was the desk and not me..." He sighed as he called for his secretary for order him a new desk.

"Ok so where is Tsunade? You said you had an idea of where she was." Jiraiya questioned the pinkette as he ran alongside her. He himself had been tracking Tsunade for a while now with no luck, so he was curious to see what Sakura knew.

"Tanzaku village is a place where she spends a lot of time. And I'm pretty sure that she told me that she stayed there a lot around this time. Even if she isn't actually there, which I doubt, we can still gather a lot of info about her whereabouts by going there." Sakura explained to the men. They were just lucky that Tanzaku village was close enough that they could run to it in a couple hours instead of a couple days.

"Oh yeah... Sensei did tell me that you were from the future. I actually thought that he was going senile for a while, but I'm glad to know that he's as sharp as ever!" The toad Sannin eyed the time traveling woman with interest.

Minato stayed silent during the exchange between them. He had a bad feeling that things were not going to be as easy as they thought...

After several hours of running they had finally arrived in Tanzaku village. The streets were filled with people who were finishing up their tasks before heading home for the day. The three of them huddled together near a food stand as Sakura relayed how they would find Tsunade. "Tsunade likes to gamble as you know, so we should split up and check the casinos first. If we can't find her at any of them we can check the inns located around the village. Ask around while you are checking those places just in case she isn't in the village at this time." Without another word the three split up into different directions.

Sakura made her way through the lobby of the casino she was in. She had already checked three casinos from top to bottom, and still no sign of Tsunade. 'How many casinos can one village have? Why do people like to waste their money trying to win more?' Inner griped irritably. "Inner not right now! Can't you see I'm busy?" Sakura hissed at her angrily. The last thing she needed was Inner's annoying questions. She made her way over to one of the managers to ask if he had seen Tsunade. "Excuse me have you seen this woman?" She held up a picture of Tsunade for the older man to see.

"Well yes I have seen her. She was just here earlier today actually!" He answered her question. How could he not have seen her? She was in here blowing money everyday. If he recalled everyone called her the Legendary Sucker.

"Do you know where she is staying?" Sakura asked excitedly. She had definitely not counted on it being this easy to find Tsunade. She had at least figured on it taking a few days.

"Why I believe she is staying at the hotel just around the block from this casino." He watched as the pinkette turned and ran out the door without another word. "Who would wanna find that woman?" He asked himself.

Sakura ran down the street and around the corner to the hotel that Tsunade was supposedly staying in. It wasn't anything fancy but with Tsunade's gambling debts she didn't exactly waste money on her living arrangements. WIthout another thought she entered the hotel and made her way to the front desk. "Excuse me?" She called out to the clerk who quickly made his way over to her. "Can you tell me what room this woman is staying in?" She held up Tsunade's picture for the clerk to look at.

"Oh her? She went out a while ago. She was heading for the outskirts of the village, if you hurry you can catch her."

"Ok thank you!" She turned on her heel and quickly ran back out onto the streets. She had to catch up to her! If Tsunade slipped through her fingers this time she would be furious with herself! She ran through the streets and towards the village exit before she finally spotted Tsunade, and Shizune near the exit. "Lady Tsunade!" She called out causing the two women to stop. She froze in her spot as her 'Shishou' turned to face her.

"Why the hell are you?" Tsunade asked grumpily as she gazed at the woman who had... pink hair... Her almond eyes widened slightly as she gazed upon the woman from head to toe, eyes finally locking on the blue diamond on her forehead. She could feel the chakra radiating from it... "How did you get that seal? I know for a fact that I haven't taught that technique to anyone!" She lowered herself into a defensive stance in case the woman deemed to attack her.

Sakura rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Leave it to her to come this far and not know what to say to her former teacher. 'Just tell the truth! Minato and Jiraiya will back you up!' Inner reasoned with her. There was no way that Tsunade would believe her but she had to try something. "Well it's actually a funny story... You taught me this seal." She stated sheepishly.

Who did this girl think she was fooling? The only student that Tsunade had ever had was Shizune, and even she couldn't perform the Yin seal. "Hmm well I would have to know you for that to happen, and I can safely say that I've never met you before in my life!" She moved forward to attack the woman, but Jiraiya, and the Namikaze teleported right behind her. "What are you idiots doing here? And who is this woman?" Tsunade asked irately.

"Calm down Tsunade!" Jiraiya tried to plactate his former teamate. He was glad that he and Minato had arrived before the two women came to blows... That would not have been a pretty sight. "This is Sakura. She's a fellow Leaf shinobi, and she's from the future." He saw Sakura shoot him a heated glare to which he shrugged. "What might as well tell the truth."

From the future? Was everyone in this world going crazy? "And you expect me to believe that?" She asked incredulously. She had never heard of time travel being successful so there was no way she was buying that! "Time travel does not exist! Why don't you put your head back on right?!" She spat at her idiotic ex teamate. 'Sakura' as Jiraiya had called her pulled something from the neckline of her flak jacket to dangle in front of her. Tsunade's eyes widened as she fingered the necklace that her grandfather had given her. "How did you... That can't be real!"

"It is real shishou. After... Naruto died he gave it to me when I became the new Nine tails jinchuriiki. I wanted to give it back to you but you trusted me to keep it safe." Sakura said as she dangled the green stone in front of her shishou's astonished eyes. "I am from the future. I don't know how I came here. All I know is that I came here to change the future for the better. And I need your help to do that." She fingered the green stone between her fingers as she waited for her shishou to say something.

Tsunade was stunned both at the term Sakura used to refer to her, and the fact that what the girl said was apparently true. As far as she knew there was only one necklace in existense, and she had possessed it since Nawaki had died. But to see this woman dangling the same stone in front of her made her speechless. She barely even registered the implications of Sakura's words. "You need my help? What can I possibly do to help you? I haven't healed anyone in a long time. You can't exactly work in the medical field when you're deathly afraid of blood." She stated bitterly. Somehow admitting that made her feel like less of a woman compared to who she used to be.

"Fear can always be overcome shishou. You managed to do it in my time, and I know you can do it now. Even if it takes a while for you to get over your fear, we can still use your help for other things." Sakura reasoned as she made her way towards Tsunade to stand right in front of her. "And it isn't just that we need you... I wanted to see you more then anything. In my world you were the one who shaped me into the woman that I am today. You were the one I could turn to when I lost everything. You were... Like a mother to me, and I don't want you to feel like you have to suffer alone. You were there for me, and I want to be there for you when you need me." She slowly enveloped her shishou in a hug. Tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her cheeks as she bit lip to keep from crying. "I don't want to be without you for another fourteen years. So come back home with us!"

The young woman genuinely cared about her, she could tell from her voice. Had she really been someone that important to her in her time? Something about this girl made her feel maternal towards her. It was like something in her realized that even if she didn't know this girl herself, she was still incredibly important to her. Could you feel the love that your past, and future selves felt? She felt her arms wrap around the younger girl before she even realized what she was doing. What was she doing? This girl had effectively reduced her to nothing more then a sniveling mess! Jiraiya would never let her live this down!

Sakura smiled as she felt her shishou return her hug. "Is that a yes?" Her voice came out all shakey from the emotion she was feeling. Being here with her shishou like this made her feel insurmountably better than she had previously felt.

"Shut up brat!" Tsunade barked half heartedly. She quickly released the woman from her hold and quickly composed herself. She never would have thought that she would go back to the Leaf Village after leaving it. But since when had things ever gone according to her plans? "I'll go but only because I was thinking about going back anyways!"

Shizune who had been silent the whole time timidly spoke up. "Uhhh Lady Tsunade weren't you just saying that you would never go back in this lifetime?" She froze in terror when her teacher whirled on her.

"SHUT UP SHIZUNE!" Tsunade roared at the young girl. She was trying to preserve her dignity but Shizune just had to destroy her chances to do that! She whirled back around on Jiraiya when she heard him laughing at her. "What are you laughing at?!" She spat as she stepped forward dangerously.

"Aww Tsunade who would have thought that you actually have a heart? And here I was expecting to have to wrestle you all the way back to the Leaf Village!" Jiraiya grinned cheekily at the blonde. The grin fell of his face when she roared and charged at him punching him square in the face and sending him through the stone wall behind him.

"WHO HAS A HEART?! SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Tsunade roared down at her teamates crumpled form.

"Well at least she hasn't changed much..." Minato sweatdropped as he came to stand beside Sakura. "You would think Jiraiya sensei would have learned by now..." He winced as Tsunade viciously stomped on his sensei again.

"Nah he will never learn... Not in this lifetime anyway..." Sakura giggled at the scene in front of her, as she pressed herself into Minato's side.

"Well at least he provides entertainment... Although there are other things I could entertain myself with..." He stated suggestively as he lowered his face towards the pinkette.

"Minato what are you thinking?! Shizune is right there!" Sakura shouted as she pushed his face away with her hand.

"You don't mind right Shizune?" He asked the young girl who fidgetted in her spot.

"MINATO YOU PERVERT!" Sakura roared as she sent him flying with a well placed punch to the stomach. He flew past Tsunade and embedded himself into the ground next to Jiraiya. She huffed and dusted her skirt off. "Men!"

Tsunade eyed the Namikaze brat as he groaned from his slumped position on the ground, before she turned impressed eyes on the other woman. "I knew there was something I liked about you!" She smirked at her.

"Well you did train me after all!" Sakura returned her smirk with one of her own. The three women turned their heads in the men's directions when Minato groaned.

"That's my kind of woman..." He groaned from the human shaped crater he was laying in.

"You did learn from the best boy..." Jiraiya groaned.

The three women exchanged look and burst into laughter before walking away.

"HEY!" Minato, and Jiraiya chorused as they scrambled after them.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey everybody sorry for the delay for this update! I've been really busy over the last two days so I just didn't have time to get around to posting this until today. Anyways I don't want to waste anymore time so here's the chapter! I do not own Naruto! There will be some lime, drama, violence, and comedy in this chapter so enjoy it!

Sakura finished up preparing breakfast for Minato who had yet to get out of bed, which was weird for him. Normally he was up at the crack of dawn, and he had breakfast ready for her when she woke up. It was actually starting to affect her cooking skills because he never let her cook, so she was glad to have the chance to cook for him this morning. She placed his plate on the table before she made her way down the hall to his room to wake him up. She saw his spikey blonde hair peaking out adorably from under his blankets, the rest of him however was not visible. 'He sleeps just like Naruto...' Inner giggled. Sakura had to agree with her, he did sleep just like Naruto always did. "He does a lot of things that Naruto did. At least Naruto will have someone to teach him this time around." She agreed with Inner as she moved forward to prod his form with her finger. "Minato... Wake up..." She cooed like she was talking to a baby. She smirked as a sound that sounded surprisingly like a whine escaped his lips. She had to bite her lips to keep from giggling at him. 'He really does like his sleep...' Inner snickered to herself. An idea came to her and she smirked wickedly. She crept into his bathroom and turned the faucet on as cold as it would go. She grabbed the cup he used to rinse his mouth and filled it to the brim with the icy water, before she made her way back to his bedside. "MINATO WAKE UP!" She shouted startling the man into an upright position as she dumped the water onto his exposed head, and chest.

Minato slowly swiped his drenched bangs out of his eyes as he turned a somewhat playful glare onto the pinkette. "A simple wake up wouldn't have sufficed?" He asked in his groggy morning voice. He hoped she realized that he would have to get even with her for this. But what she didn't know... would only amuse him later.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders at his question. "I tried but you wouldn't get up." She answered easily enough. She knew he wasn't really mad at her. It most likely wasn't even possible for Minato to get truly angry at anyone, let alone her. "I made you breakfast and I didn't want it to get cold. If you had gotten up the first time I tried to wake you up then I wouldn't have dumped water on you! Now get dressed and come eat!" She turned on her heel and exited the room without another word.

She made him breakfast? He turned heavy eyes to the clock on his bedside and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Eight thirty?" He asked himself in disbelief. He was pretty sure that he had never slept past seven o'clock in his life! He threw the blankets off of himself and got dressed in a hurry.

Sakura turned at the sound of feet padding into the kitchen behind her. "Took you long enough!" She said earning her a small glare from her boyfriend. "Aww are you really mad at me?" She pouted her lips at him. This always worked on Kakashi sensei, Yamato taichou, and Naruto when she did it, she just hoped that it would work on him too.

How could he be angry at her when she was looking at him like that? He cursed himself for being so easy for her to manipulate, but he couldn't seem to help it. He hung on every single face that she made, or every word that she said to him. Was he really that lovesick? "I could never be mad at you. Even if that is unfortunate for me..." He muttered as he plopped down in his chair to eat the breakfast she made for him. He ignored the slight glare she sent him as he took a bite of the food she had made for him. It was surprisingly very good, maybe even better than the food he cooked. He definitely had not been expecting it, having had to eat the burnt food that Kushina had made him eat. Maybe that was why he had insisted on doing all the cooking? He was terrified that he would have to eat something as horrible as Kushina's food again.

She watched him with expectant eyes as he took the first bite. "Good?" She asked softly as she watched him chew. She wasn't sure why he insisted on being the cook of the house... 'Maybe he was traumatized by Kushina's cooking?' Inner supplied. "Probably... After all the Kushina from this time is completely different then Naruto's mother was..." Sakura agreed with her.

"Yes it's very good Sakura. I actually wasn't expecting it seeing as how the last woman I let cook for me made food that wasn't even edible..." He shuddered at the memory of the black blobs that Kushina had insisted he eat. Personally any woman who could cook was a far better catch than any supermodel, or princess a guy could find. He felt even more lucky to have found Sakura now...

"Was her cooking that bad?" Sakura asked incredulously. 'Oh my god we were right!' Inner burst out laughing at the horrified expression that crossed Minato's face. Sakura burst out laughing as well despite her efforts to surpress it. "It was that bad wasn't it?!" She banged her fist on the table as she continued laughing.

"It isn't funny Sakura! She almost killed me with her cooking on a daily basis! I even started eating before I came home so that I wouldn't have to eat the burned lumps that she called food!" He almost gagged at the memory of how they tasted. He'd rather face a dozen of Kumo's best by himself than risk eating Kushina's food. Sakura's laughter was not making the situation any better for him. "Can we please stop talking about it before I have to be fed intravenously for the rest of my life?" The absurdity of his statement sent her into another fit of laughter. The sad thing was that he was not even kidding in the least... He hadn't even ate half of the food that Sakura had made him, and already breakfast was ruined for him. He pushed his plate away from himself and briskly stood.

Sakura's laughter immediately cut off as he stood to leave without finishing his food. "Minato what are you doing? Don't you know it's bad manners to leave food uneaten?! Sit down and finish it or I'll make you!" She threatened. He made no move to do what she said and her temper snapped. In the blink of an eye she had launched herself out of her chair and tackled him to the ground. "EAT YOUR FOOD!" She roared down at his prone form. Her hand sought out his plate and grabbed a fried egg, which she quickly brought to his mouth and stuffed it in. "STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD AND EAT THE BREAKFAST I MADE FOR YOU!" She raged as she struggled to hold him down. She felt his leg wedge in between hers sending a pleasant jolt through her body, causing her to freeze up on top of him. He used her momentary shock to flip her over, and the next thing she knew he was hovering over her.

He smirked down at her flushed face from his position over her. "What's wrong Sakura?" He practically purred down at her. Of course he knew what had happened even if it had been unintentional on his part. But he was a man, and he would be lying if he said that he wasn't pleased with her reactions to him. He trailed a finger down to the waistband of her pants and pulled on it gently. He took her flushed face, and silence as a good thing, and he slipped his hand inside of her pants. "Tell me if you want me to stop okay?" He told her as he rubbed his fingers over her entrance before slipping one inside. She gripped his finger like a second skin as he pumped it in and out at a fast pace. Little gasps escaped her lips everytime he pushed his finger back in. He inserted another finger and quickened his pace even more causing her to quiver and tighten around him. Her back arched till her chest met his as a sharp cry escaped her lips, which he quickly muffled when he slammed his lips onto hers. He removed his fingers from her body as she slumped to the ground completely spent.

She stared at him wide eyed after what had just transpired. "Did... Did you just finger me?" She asked breathlessly. 'Of course he did! Why are you even asking?' Inner remarked snarkily. Sakura was too stunned to even say anything back to Inner's comment. What could she say? She was as inexperienced in both the physical, and mental aspects of intimacy as they come.

His eyes widened in disbelief at her question. "You mean you don't know?" He asked incredulously. Now he was worried that he had taken it too far under the notion that she knew all about this sort of thing. She had not made a move to stop him but he would still feel bad if he found out that he had pushed her before she was ready.

"I... I mean I know what you did but... I've never done anything like it before so I was shocked is all." She whispered shyly. This was completely new to her and she wasn't sure of how to react. His expression was one of regret and she instantly felt bad about making him feel bad. 'Outter you're ruining everything! Tell him you're not mad at him!' Inner roared furiously at her. "I'm not regretting it or anything, it actually felt really good! I'm just really inexperienced when it comes to things like this..." She admitted embarassedly.

"There's no need to be embarassed about it Sakura." He reassured her gently. He should have known that she had not done anything like this before! He just figured that even though she had not had a boyfriend before, she had still had some experience with this type of thing. "I just wanted to make sure that I didn't push you too far before you were ready." He explained as he rubbed her flushed cheek with his thumb. She smiled shyly and nodded her head at him. He returned her smile with one of his own before he went to pull himself up and off of her. Her hand fisted his flak jacket and held him in place before he could disentangle himself from her. He gazed down at her curiously as he ceased trying to get up. "Sakura?"

She peered up at him from under her eyelashes as she tugged at his flak jacket softly. "What about you? Should I do something for you?" She stuttered out in embarassment. 'CHA! YOU GO OUTTER! GET HOT AND HEAVY WITH YOUR MANCANDY!' Inner roared encouragingly. "This is hard enough as it is Inner so be quiet!" Sakura snapped irritibly.

He gulped audibly at the implications of her words. "If you want to you can. I'm not going to make you do anything." He answered honestly. His body was practically singing in excitement at the thought of being touched. It really had been too long since he had done anything with a woman.

Her hand moved to the waistband of his pants and slid inside to grip him. 'Whoa he's fuckin huge!' Inner shouted as she fanned herself. She ignored her completely as she locked eyes with Minato's half lidded ones. "If I'm bad at it i'm sorry." She stuttered as she hesitantly started pumping her hand up and down. She noticed that he responded more when she tightened her hand as she pumped down, and loosened it as she came back up. "Is this good?" She asked hesitantly as she continued her minstrations.

"Yes that's great..." He groaned out as she hastened her pace slightly. Being a ninja, he had a naturally high endurance but something about Sakura doing this was pushing him towards release faster than he had ever gone before. She slipped her other hand in to join the other and the added sensation was all it took to send him spiraling over the edge. "Sakura..." He groaned out hoarsely. His arms shook from the effort it took to keep himself from slumping against her as her hands stilled and released him.

'Ewww our hands are all sticky!' Inner cringed somewhat in disgust. "Weren't you all for it earlier?" Sakura quipped mercilessly at her Inner spirit, as she looked at her hands that were covered in a sticky white substance. 'Yeah but... Why does it have to be sticky?!' Inner cried fake tears as she hugged herself. She watched as Minato slumped onto his side right next to her and watched her fondly. "Look what you did to my hands Minato!" She remarked playfully as she held up her hands for him to see.

"Well that does happen Sakura, it's not like I can help it." He smirked at her playful demeanor. "Does this mean you will be sleeping in my room from now on?" He asked playfully. She was about to smack his chest when she froze like a deer caught in headlights. He looked at her in alarm. "Sakura what is it?"

She pointed a finger at the end of the hall where she could clearly make out Jiraiya standing and watching them. "Jiraiya's watching us!" She whispered in astonishment. 'How the hell did we just notice him now?!' Inner roared furiously. "I DON'T KNOW BUT I'M GONNA KILL HIM!" Sakura growled as she moved to throw herself off the ground so that she could kill the Toad Sannin. "YOU FUCKING PERVERT! I'M GOING TO RIP YOU INTO TINY PIECES AND SEW YOU BACK TOGETHER, JUST SO I CAN RESSURECT YOU AND KILL YOU AGAIN!" She roared in absolute fury as she launched herself at the Sannin and started pummeling him. "HOW DARE YOU COME IN HERE AND WATCH US WHILE WE'RE DOING THAT! I'LL MAKE YOU QUESTION YOUR GENDER BY RIPPING YOUR DICK OFF!"

"IT WAS ALL IN THE SAKE OF RESEARCH SAKURA I SWEAR!" Jiraiya defended himself with what he thought was a good argument. It only served to anger the kunoichi even more, she shrieked unintelligibly and started hitting him harder. "MINATO HELP YOUR SENSEI!" He pleaded for his student to help.

"Normally I would sensei, but you actually deserve it for watching Sakura and I being intimate." He turned away from his sensei's screams and began cleaning up the mess from their breakfast. "Make sure you don't maim him beyond recognition Sakura." He called back to her before he went back to his business. Honestly... You would think his sensei would learn...

Sakura jumped slightly as Tsunade cleared her throat to catch her attention. She turned to adress her 'Shishou' as she still called her. "Oh did you need something Tsunade Shishou?" She asked politely. She was currently going over files on carious sealing jutsus that she could use to seal kurama into Naruto when the time came. And now that Tsunade was here she had someone who was versed in the history of various seals. She was the granddaughter of Mito Uzumaki after all.

"I didn't need anything, I was just worried about you. You seem really distracted today..." Tsunade studied the younger woman's tense body closely. She had been jumpy and fidgety all day long and it was not like her, at least not from what Tsunade had gotten from the time she had spent with Sakura. "If you want to talk..." She let the implication hang in the air for a moment.

Sakura hesitated a moment before she opened up about what had her so irritated today. This was Tsunade after all, even if she wasn't technically 'her' Shishou. "It was that stupid teamate of yours! Minato and I were having a moment..." She noticed the way Tsunade smirked at the implications she left unsaid. "We were having a moment when I saw Jiraiya watching us from the end of the hall! I can't even believe that man! Why would he even want to watch his student messing with his girlfriend?! It was so messed up!" Sakura blushed furiously as her teacher threw her head back and laughed at her. "It isn't funny Shishou! God I need a drink!" She groaned in defeat.

"Yes it is that funny Sakura! Think about it, would he really be jiraiya if he didn't take advantage of the scene you guys made for him?!" Tsunade snorted slightly in disgusted amusement. That was the Jiraiya she knew at least... But she guessed she could understand Sakura's anger. After all, she had been even more livid when she caught him peeking on her and Dan. What else could she say to her? She was sure that Jiraiya was barely alive wherever he was... She clasped her hand on the younger girl's shoulder causing her to look at Tsunade. "How about we go get that drink" She asked hoping to brighten Sakura's spirits. Her 'student' nodded her head eagerly at her.

Two hours later found the two kunoichi thoroughly hammered. "Can you believe that jerk? Who da hell does he think he isssssss?" Sakura slurred as she downed another shot of sake. "I better not catch him peeping at us again! Next time Minato won't stop me from castrating him!" She swayed towards Tsunade and leaned on her shoulder. "But I tell you Shishou... Minato has nice fingers!" She hiccuped and pressed her flushed cheek into Tsunade's shoulder.

Tsunade smirked stupidly at the drunken kunoichi's ramblings. "I bet they are! He has to have some pretty nimble fingers to use some of his signature jutsu... Or maybe not... He could just be finerally talented!" She wasn't even sure if that was a correct term but eh, who gives a shit! "You just wait until you get in his pants! I heard that the Namikaze men are sex gods!" She snorted at the deep blush that lit up Sakura's face. "Jeez girl you act like you've never been laid before!" Tsunade commented her inner filter completely destroyed by the alcohol she had ingested.

"I haven't actually..." Sakura groaned in embarassment. Next to her Tsunade choked on the sake she was downing, before she turned incredulous eyes on Sakura. "Don't look at me like that Shishou! I never had time for boys in my time!" She defended herself.

"NEVER HAD TIME?! THERE'S ALWAYS TIME FOR MEN SAKURA! JEEZ NO WONDER YOU ARE SO UPSET ALL THE TIME!" Tsunade yelled drawing all the other patron's attention to them. "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!" She roared at the pesky eavesdroppers, scaring them enough to make them look away.

"Keep it down Shishou! Jeez not everyone needs to know of my virgin status!" Sakura hissed as she pulled another shot towards her and downed it. The memory of beating Jiraiya in the face with her 'sticky' hands came back to her and she burst out laughing. "OH MY GOD! I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THAT!" She doubled over the counter as her shishou watched her with interest. "Wh...When Jiraiya caught us I beat him in the face with my hands!" She burst out laughing again, while Tsunade did not understand what was so funny.

"Yes what else would you beat him with?" She asked cluelessly. She definitely did not like being left in the dark about things...

"My hands were covered in Minato's stuff..." Sakura got out breathlessly. A look of understanding flashed across Tsunade's face before she too broke out in laughter.

"I wonder if he washed his face off?! Does he even know that he's got..." Tsunade couldn't finish her thought because she could barely breathe she was laughing so hard.

After several minutes the two had finally calmed down and composed themselves somewhat, the occassional snicker still passing when one of them thought about the Toad Sannin. Sakura glanced up at the clock to see that it was already almost midnight. "Oh shit! I gotta go Shishou, Minato is probably waiting for me!" Sakura scrambled off of the stool and hastily bid Tsunade good night. "See you tomorrow Shishou!" She called over her shoulder as she dashed out of the bar.

Her vision was blurred as she ran through the streets towards her shared apartment with Minato. She hoped that he would not be angry with her for being out so late without telling him. She flung open the door to the apartment building and ran up the flights of stairs to the floor that Minato's apartment was on. As she stumbled towards the door she noticed Minato's neighbor watching her from his doorway, but she ignored him. Her hand found the doorknob but before she could open it a hand clasped her shoulder and pulled her roughly away, slamming her into the wall. Her mind was foggy as she tried to remember what the guy's name was who was looking down at her. "What the fuck is your problem?!" She grunted and tried to pull her arm away from him.

"I don't have a problem actually. But you are about to if you don't shut your mouth!" He gripped her arm so tight that she winced in pain. How lucky was he that she had come back well after Minato would be in bed. And she was wasted no less! This was his chance to get even with the blonde and he would be a fool not to take it. He spun her around and wrapped his arms around her as he began dragging her towards his door. He was lucky that he was a taijutsu type and that he was physically very strong or else he would not have been able to move the struggling kunoichi an inch. He shuddered to think of how strong she was when she was sober!

'What the fuck does this guy think he's doing?!' Inner roared dangerously through the fog that was Sakura's muddled brain. 'DO SOMETHING BEFORE HE RAPES US!' Inner snapped again. "I AM INNER! I shouldn't have gotten so drunk! Now I can't use my chakra enhanced strength!" She cursed herself for her stupidity. 'FUCKING SCREAM THEN DAMMIT! MINATO WILL HEAR YOU HE HAS TO!' Inner yelled again the fear leaking into her voice. It was the only choice she had at the moment so she drew in a big breath and screamed. "MINATO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Her abductor cursed and released her before ducking back into his own apartment, just as Minato wrenched his door open. She sprinted towards him and crashed into him before he even made a move towards her.

"Sakura? What happened?!" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her cautiously. He had ever heard her scream like that before. It was like he couldn't get to her fast enough. She was sobbing into his shirt and he could smell the amount of alcohol on her breath. It was a miracle that she made it home without passing out.

"I shouldn't have gotten so drunk! I practically asked for this to happen!" She berated herself out loud confusing the blonde even more. His hand found her chin and pulled her face up so that she was looking directly at him.

"What happened?" He asked barely concealed anger tainting his voice. He had a feeling that he really was not going to like whatever answer she gave him.

"Your neighbor tried dragging me into his apartment... I drank way too much so I couldn't get away from him. So that's why I yelled for you." She hated admitting her own weakness. It had been so long since she had actually had to have someone save her form an enemy. Her spine shivered in fear at the murderous look that was consuming Minato's normally happy face. 'Holy shit!' Inner exclaimed.

Shin had fucked with Sakura when she was in a vulnerable state... "He's fucking dead!" He cursed venemously. He would show that bastard to stay away from his girlfriend once and for all! 


	12. Chapter 12

Alright here's the next update for you guys! A heads up to everyone who reads this, there will be lemony content from here on out! Just wanted to warn everyone that this is rated M for a reason. On with the chapter! I do not own Naruto! AND THERE IS A LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER SO BE PREPARED!

"Go inside and wait for me Sakura." Minato ordered in a tone that warranted no argument. He had half expected her to argue with him, but he was happy that she simply nodded and ducked into their apartment. He definitely did not want her to see him getting violent with Shin, but it was definitely a long time coming. He stormed up to Shin's door hell blazing in his eyes, and he started banging on it. Of course there was no answer, not that he expected the coward to. Well if he didn't want to answer, then he would just have to take matters into his own hands. Taking a small step back he kicked out at the door causing it to splinter in half. "You did it this time Shin!" He called in a dangerously tone as he made his way into the apartment. There was no sign of him in the living room, kitchen, or dining room, so he turned down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. "Leave it to a coward like you to hide!" He mocked as he peered into the open bathroom, and guest bedroom doors. "Shin? I've already checked the rest of the rooms and there's only one place that you can be..." He tone was condescending as he stood outside of the last bedroom door. Bastard had locked the door so he quickly dealt with it the same way he had dealt with the front door, by kicking it down. His eyes zeroed in on Shin's form as he attempted to scramble out the open window. Minato smirked sadistically as he took a hold of the other man's leg and ripped him away from his only escape. He slid his hands around Shin's throat and squeezed tight enough to cause him difficulty breathing, but not enough to kill. "I told you not to mess with Sakura. But you just couldn't listen could you?" It took everything in him to not punch the bastard bloody.

"Who the hell are you to tell me to stay away from anyone?!" Shin questioned with more courage than he was actually feeling. In truth the blonde terrified him more than he would ever admit to anyone. "Maybe she wanted me! After all your other woman came to me whenever you weren't around! Maybe Sakura is more like her then y-!" His head snapped to the right as Minato's fist connected with the left side of his face, crushing the cheekbone. Blood filled his mouth and he turned terrified eyes onto the seething man.

How dare this bastard compare Sakura to Kushina? The only things they had in common were their short tempers, and violent tendencies! Sakura was everything that Kushina was not, and he would not allow Shin to badmouth her like that. "Sakura is mine, you got that? She is nothing like Kushina! You had better stay away from her or next time it will be worse than this." He gripped Shin's throat so tight that he could almost feel the bones breaking.

"You only punched me once! No wonder Kushina wanted someone who was more of a man then you are! You really are a major pushover Minato! And here I was thinking that you were going to give me something to be afraid of!" Blood dribbled down his chin as he smirked at Minato.

"Oh I was nowhere near done yet Shin!" Minato stated matter of factly as he watched the smirk fall from Shin's face. He jerked Shin roughly to his feet as he swung his fist into his stomach sharply, causing Shin to cough up blood. "I was just making sure that you knew who you were messing with Shin. After all, I am a real man unlike you." Was it wrong that he took immense pleasure in the way Shin's face morphed into a look of absolute terror? Hopefully it just served to prove to him that you don't mess with the girlfriend of Konoha's Yellow Flash. And if that didn't prove it, then he was sure that the awful beating would. He was really going to enjoy this...

Sakura glanced at the clock above the kitchen entrance one more time. 'Minato has been gone for so long... Do you think he's okay?' Inner asked worriedly. It was already after one thirty in the morning, meaning that he had been gone for over fourty five minutes. "I'm sure he's fine Inner... He's probably just beating Shin to within an inch of his life." She reassured her. "At least I'm not seeing double anymore..." She whispered jokingly to herself. The sound of the door opening and closing caused her head to shoot up, her eyes locking with Minato's bloody form. She ran to him and threw her arms around him, not even caring that he was covered in blood. "Minato are you alright?!" She cried frantically as she drew back to look at him more carefully. "You're covered in blood!" She began searching his body for any noticable wounds that he might have.

"It's not my blood Sakura." He assured the frantic woman. She froze and turned wide eyes up to lock with his own blue ones.

"You didn't kill him did you?" She asked nervously. If he did, that could ruin his chances of becoming Hokage! Surely he must have know this! "Minato tell me what happened!" She demanded.

"He's alive...barely..." He whispered the last part almost inaudibly, but she heard it. She immediately started struggling to get away from him. "Sakura you are not going over there to check on him!" He told her sternly.

"If he dies you are going to be in a lot of trouble! Did you even think about that before you beat him to the point that he's almost dead?" She ceased her struggling and turned to give him her full attention. "I'm just a woman Minato, I'm not worth killing a Leaf shinobi over. What if this affects your chances of being Hokage?! I'm not worth it if you have to sacrifice your dreams!" Her voice broke and she hated herself for being unable to help it. The people she cared about never achieved their dreams... She couldn't stand to see Minato giving up his dream, and for her no less.

Was that what she really thought? How was it possible that she didn't realize that dreams were pointless if you didn't have someone to share your life with after you achieved them. She was worried that he wouldn't become Hokage because of this? That dream was second to his precious people, second to her. She, and his students would always come first to him. "What good is being Hokage if I can't be with the people that matter most? I would choose you over being Hokage if it came to that Sakura. My students, and you are what is most important to me in this world. If I can have all of you, then there is nothing else I could want." His eyes softened at the vulnerability he saw in her eyes. He really needed to show her how important she was to him more from now on.

He would choose her...over his dream? He would sacrifice being Hokage for her? But why? 'Because he loves you stupid!' Inner quipped snarkily. "Yeah I know that... But...that much?" She asked uncertainly. "DUH! I'M PRETTY SURE HE JUST SAID THAT! GET IT TOGETHER OUTTER!' Inner shouted furiously. She looked Minato in the eyes seriously. "I don't want you to give up on being Hokage for me Minato." She held up a hand when he started to protest. "No Minato! Think about how I would feel if you gave up your lifelong dream for me? I would feel horrible! I would feel like I was responsible for making sure that you could never achieve the dream you worked so hard to make come true!" Her voice quivered as tears welled up in her eyes despite her efforts to fight them back. "I'm tired of the people I care about not being able to achieve their dreams..." A sob escaped her lips as the tears spilled freely from her eyes. She hated the fact that she was crying so much lately! She was always a burden, no matter what she did! Her distraught mind barely even registered the warm arms wrapping around her, or the firm chest she was being pressed against.

"I'm not giving up Sakura... I just want you to know that I love you enough to do anything for you!" He pressed a soft kiss against her earlobe as he whispered to her. How could you fall in love so hard, and so fast that someone you had only known for such a short amount of time could mean more to you than anything else? That was what he had with Sakura... It was unreal how much he loved the stubborn, yet emotional pinkette. Yet she seemed to not realize the extent of how he felt about her. Was it a part of her defenses? Did she refuse to acknowledge the true depth of his feelings in an effort to protect herself more effectively? "What are you protecting yourself from?" His question made her sobs die down to quiet sniffles, as she brought her head up to face him.

"Protecting myself...?" The question left her lips in a faint whisper. What did he mean by that? Wasn't she trying to protect him? 'No as usual you are hurting yourself by keeping a part of yourself locked away. You don't see that it isn't about him necesarily, it's about you! It's about the fact that you won't give all of yourself to anyone, because you're still hurting about your team's deaths. You blame yourself because they didn't achieve their dreams. So as a defense mechanism you push people away if you feel that your influence in their lives could jeopardize their goals!' Inner stated matter of factly. "But I only push Minato away..." She stopped completely at her passing thought. She had done that since the beginning... And even though they had started dating, she still had not opened up completely to him. 'You're afraid... It's ok to be afraid sometimes Outter... But did you ever think that you aren't being fair to yourself, or them? They never blamed you Outter... They only wanted the best for you from the beginning... Wouldn't that make it one of their dreams too?' Inner asked her quietly. Green eyes widened in relization. 'You're keeping their dreams from coming true...' Inner stated quietly. "I keep thinking that I've gotten over their deaths as best I could. I never even realized just how guilty I felt about everything. I've been hurting myself, and you by refusing to move on, and I'm sorry for that Inner." Sakura apologized sadly. 'I know Outter... After all I know all the things you refuse to accept...' Inner stated easily as she dissapeared into the recesses of Sakura's mind.

She hadn't made a move to acknowledge him after her question to herself, and he was starting to worry about her. "Sakura?" He called to get her attention. Her head snapped up as if she had completely forgotten about his prescense, maybe she had... "What are you thinking about?" He asked her quietly as he ran his thumb over her cheek.

What was she thinking? She couldn't help but giggle at how silly she had been acting. "I was thinking that I'm an idiot!" She smiled at the adorable look of confusion that crossed his features at her self depracating statement. "I've been holding back it seems... I was ready to keep hurting myself to make sure that this time around my precious people achieved their dreams. I didn't care about how much I was hurting myself by doing that. I was ready to leave you because I thought you were giving up on becoming Hokage for me, and I couldn't handle that. I didn't realize that it was the guilt over my team holding me back. I never wanted to see the people I care about die without accomplishing everything that they wanted for themselves in their life. And that means you too." She looked up at him earnestly. "It's sad really... I never realized how upset they would be if they knew... So I can't think like this anymore. I can't keep taking the choices away from everyone else. I have to start thinking of myself a little bit more... It's silly to think that I can make everyone happy at my own expense, and I realize that now." She brought her hand up and ran a finger over his bottom lip softly, before she leaned up and pressed her lips against his softly. "I'm sorry." She whispered against his lips.

"Even though I was never mad at you, I still forgive you..." He mummbled back against her lips. His arms tightened around her pulling her even more flush against his chest, as he angled his head to get more access to her mouth. His tongue slid into her mouth to slide against hers before wrapping around it. His hands slid down to settled on her hips and stroke the exposed flesh that her shirt didn't cover. He was positive that he was about to lose it and give into his instincts, he was relativly sure that Sakura would go along with it. He was somewhat shocked however when she made a small noise of disgust and pulled away. "Sakura?" He spoke her name with confusion evident in his voice. She merely pointed a finger at his shirt. He followed the direction that she was pointing only to see that he was still covered in blood from Shin.

"Maybe you should shower..." She giggled at how he was almost pouting. She turned and quickly walked down the hall to her room and shut the door. 'CHA! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! WE WERE SO ABOUT TO GET SOME!' Inner yelled ferociously making Sakura cringe. "Shut up Inner! Since when were you such a little pervert?!" Sakura asked with equal ferocity. 'CHA! I'M ALL THE PARTS OF YOU THAT YOU REFUSE TO BE! THAT MEANS THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY A PERVERT! YOU JUST REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT SO I HAVE TO VOICE YOUR DESIRES INSTEAD!' Inner roared waving her fists around like a maniac. "Damn Inner for always being right when it counts!" Sakura cursed under her breath. Maybe a third opinion was in order? "Hey Kurama what do you think I should do?" Sakura asked the fox.

"Like I really want to watch you having it out with Minato girl! It was disgusting enough having to watch it the first time around!" Kurama spoke with disgust. It would be different if he was stuck in a man and could watch a female body, but no... He always got stuck in women it seemed like! That meant that he was cursed with having to look at naked men for all of eternity. "Just do what you want and leave me out of this part of your life!" He receeded into the seal and left Sakura to her thoughts.

'Cha! I'd feel bad for the old man if he wasn't such a dick!' Inner snickered in amusement. "Hey Kurama isn't so bad Inner! Think about how he feels!" Sakura chastied her Inner spirit. 'Pffffft! Whatever! Just go rape Minato already!' Inner demanded encouragingly. "I have no idea what I'm supposed to do though! What if I screw it up?!" Sakura asked nervously. It wasn't like she had any real experience with any of this! The first time she had done anything of the sort was this morning! 'CHA! HOW CAN YOU EVEN DO IT WRONG?! AND AS FOR THE DOUBTS ABOUT BEING READY, IF YOU LOVE HIM THEN YOU'RE READY! CHA! JUST GO FOR IT!' Inner roared impatiently. "Fine! But if he turns me away..." 'HE WON'T SO STOP STALLING! CHA!' Inner huffed and tapped her foot. "Alright! I'm going jeez!" Sakura told her with more courage than she felt. She exited her room and made her way down the hall to Minato's room where she could still hear his shower running from his adjoining bathroom. She silently crept into his room and made her way to his bathroom, making sure her chakra was masked she quickly began removing her clothes. 'Just be calm! You so got this! Cha!' Inner whispered encouragingly. She simply nodded as she slowly pulled the shower curtain open and stepped in quietly, her clothes forgotten on the floor. Her eyes ran over Minato's back as he bowed his head under the water. He was lean and toned with broad shoulders. 'And that butt! OH MY GOD!' Inner swooned feverishly. Sakura had to admit that it was indeed very nice... 'Make a move already!' Inner encouraged again. Sakura quietly crept forward and slid her arms around his torso startling him. In the blink of an eye he had spun around making their chests touch.

"Sakura what are you..." His throat constricted effectively cutting him off before he could voice his question. Hs mind could only keep reminding him that she was naked...in the shower...with him... He gulped loudly as he tried to comprehend the current situation. Knowing that she was not experienced in this particular field, he did not want to jump to conclusions and do something that she was not ready for. Why did this woman have to make it so hard for him? Her body was curvy in all the right places, some more than others if you caught his meaning... And she was pressed up against him! "Sakura... You shouldn't tempt people if you aren't ready for their response." He struggled to voice his doubts.

"And if I am ready? Is it okay then?" She asked coyly. 'CHA! GO OUTTER! WORK THAT FEMALE ALLURE SHIT!' Inner roared excitedly. "WOULD YOU BE QUIET!? I'M BUSY!" Sakura locked her up into the dark part of her mind. She turned her attention back to Minato and noted the change in his demeanor. He looked like he wanted to eat her!

"Only if you're sure." His voice was low with barely concealed excitement. She nodded her head and that was all the confirmation he needed. In the blink of an eye he was staring down at her exposed form on his bed. Her drank in her form from her long pink hair, to her large chest, down past the seal on her stomach, and all the way past her toned legs, all the way to her toes. Could she be any more perfect?

"Are you just going to stare at me all night? I thought there was more to it than this..." She teased him. Though in reality she was drinking him in the same way that he was her. Her eyes trailed down broad chest, to his washboard abs, all the way past his hips, and down his legs. She licked her lips in nervous excitement, before she sat up and beckoned him closer. He came to her and settled himself between her hips as he pressed his lips against hers hungrily. She squirmed against the pressure of 'him' on her thigh as a thought occured to her. "Wait a second!" She pushed him back slightly.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked her quickly. Had she really not been as ready as she had told him? Of course he would forgive her for that. After all the choice to become sexually active was a big one and he wanted her to be a hundred percent sure of her choice.

"I don't want to get pregnant yet... Do you have a condom?" How had she not even thought about that before? A look of relief passed his face as he reached for his nightstand and sifted through it for a moment, before pulling out a foil package. He quickly ripped it open and slid the condom on before coming flush against her again.

"It's better if I do it quick, that way that pain won't be as drawn out." She nodded at him in understanding. He positioned himself at her entrance and paused to lock eyes with her. "Take a deep breath okay?" She did as he told her as he quickly thrust in all the way.

A pained cry escaped her lips as she felt like she was being torn in half. The pain was every bit as bad as Ino had told her it would be! She had to bite her lips to keep from whimpering... Man she'd rather be stabbed with kunai than have to do this again! At least he was holding still for her so that she could adjust to him. After a few moments the pain started to subside and she gave a tentative thrust with her hips, causing Minato to groan. "It's better now... You can move." She gave another thrust of her hips for emphasis.

He moaned in relief as he drew himself all the way out and slammed himself back in causing a small scream to escape her lips. She was so tight that she hugged him tighter than a vice! He leaned down and smashed his lips onto hers as he started to thrust in and out at a fast pace. It was like she was made for him with the way her body responded so fiercely to everything he did. With every move he made he had to swallow the loud gasps, and moans that escaped her lips as he body arched up into his. His hands ran over every inch of exposed flesh leaving trails of goosebumps in his wake.

Her body felt like it was on fire. Waves of pleasure coursed through her body so quickly that she could barely keep a grip on reality. No girl talk had even remotely prepared her for how this would actually feel. Sharp jolts of pleasure shot up from her stomach making her heart race uncontrollably. A knot had formed in her stomach and it grew tighter with every thrust until it was almost at the breaking point. Her nails dug into his back in a vain attempt to keep herself grounded. Her legs wrapped around his hips as she felt the coil give way as the pleasant sensations flooded her senses so fast, and intense that her mouth fell open in a scream.

He groaned loudly as she clenched impossibly tight around him. The added pressure was his undoing and his pace became erratic for a moment. His body shook fiercely as a loud moan broke through his lips as he released. He collapsed onto her being mindful not to crush her with his weight. It was several moments before he had managed to catch his breath enough to speak. "I love you Sakura." He looked up and locked eyes with her half lidded ones.

"I love you too Minato." She said sleepily as a yawn worked its way out of her mouth. 'Jeez sex really takes it out of us, huh?' Inner piped in. "Shut up Inner... I'm too happy, and tired to deal with you..." Sakura dismissed her as she struggled to keep herself awake. "You wore me out you jerk... But it was more than worth it..." She barely saw the bright smile light up his face before sleep finally claimed her.

"Oh I know it was beautiful..." He stoked her cheek affectionately as he flipped over bringing her on top of him. He pulled his blankets up to cover them both. "I guess this means you will be sleeping in here from now on." He chuckled as he allowed sleep to claim him. 


	13. Chapter 13

Alright here's the next chapter for you guys! Before I get started though I wanted to clear up something that someone asked me in the reviews. The Bridge mission will happen in this story but not for a while yet. There will be a major timeskip in this story at some point, but first Orochimaru, and Danzo need to be dealt with so it will be a while still. Kushina will also be making more appearances in the story so there is that to look forward to. Anyways on with the chapter! As I have said before, I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! There's a surprise development in this chapter that I hope you guys will like! Well enjoy!

The gentle motion of a warm chest beneath her stirred her from her sleep. Bleary green eyes slid open to slide up and lock onto the naked blonde she was currently laying on top of. A small smile graced her lips as the events of last night came back to her. Her thighs, and lower region ached along with the rest of her but it seemed pleasant kind of. Oh yeah she and Minato had definitely had an amazing time. She was glad that she had waited this long, it had made what she had done with Minato even more special to her. She would've just laid there until he woke up and basked in the afterglow of the night's events, but she really had to get going for the day. She went to pull herself up off of Minato but he seemed to have other plans. She squeaked girlishly as his arms yanked her back down to his chest and tightened around her to hold her to him. He made a small contented noise, but otherwise did not move or say anything. 'He's holding us like a teddy bear! AWWWWWW THAT IS SO CUTE! CHA!' Inner squealed like a fangirl. Well she kind of was one if you thought about it... "What am I supposed to do? I have to go grocery shopping today, and I have to drop off a medical text to Rin!" Sakura groaned internally. She supposed she could wake him up and tell him to let her go... But he looked so cute when he was sleeping! 'Try sneaking!' Inner suggested helpfully. So Sakura did just that. She used her chakra enhanced strength to lift one of his arms from around her, and she slinked away from his body. "Jeez he's such a cuddlewhore! It's too bad that I like it huh?" She giggled to herself as she slid her fingers through his hair being mindful not to wake him up. A sigh escaped her lips as she reluctantly stood and made her way to his bathroom to shower. She turned the water on nice and hot before she stepped into the shower and closed the curtain behind her.

Minato groaned sleepily at the loss of warmth as his hands searched for the woman who had been occupying his bed with him. His eyes cracked open when his search came up completely empty. The sound of running water reached his ears and he turned his attention to the open bathroom door. "How dare she take a shower without me? I guess she will just have to be punished." He remarked mischieviously to himself. Standing to his feet he discreetly made his way into the bathroom and slid the shower curtain open. She was facing him with her eyes closed and it was obvious that she was too distracted to notice him. He smirked to himself as he stepped into the tub and came up flush against her startling her.

"MINATO! You ass!" Sakura shouted at him as she tried to calm her racing heart. And she had been enjoying her calming morning shower too! She glared up at the blonde towering over her and crossed her arms over her chest. He was obviously enjoying himself if the amused smile on his face was any indication. 'Aww but he looks so cute like that! All naked and dripping wet...' Inner drooled as Sakura unintentionally ogled Minato. She wanted to bang her head against the wall to rid herself of the perverted thoughts that Inner's words had instilled in her mind.

He watched amused as Sakura shamelessly ogled him, then scowled to herself. He had to wonder at times like these, why women did not take what they wanted when it was being offered to them. Surely if he was against it, he would not have gotten into the shower with her. "Sakura some of us have to shower too." He said teasingly as he slipped around her to stand under the water. A chuckle escaped his mouth at the conflicted glare she sent him. If she had a problem she had better do something.

'He's definitely asking for it! RAPE HIM OUTTER!' Inner shouted at her. "Rape him? Jeez Inner what is wrong with you?!" Sakura asked with false incredulity. Before Inner could make her usual retort Sakura cut her off. "After all... Rape implies that he or she doesn't want it... And we both know that is not Minato..." A look of mischief morphed her features as she turned to face her 'victim'. She watched with amusement as his face changed from amused to nervous as she stalked towards him like a predator. She came up flush against his body and pinned him to the wall behind him. "You know Minato... You really shouldn't tease me, after all you might get more then you bargain for." She purred into his neck as her tongue came out to flick against the skin there. Her right hand trailed down his body and grasped onto him slowly pumping him, and reveling in the hiss of pleasure that escaped his lips. She trailed open mouth kisses on the exposed flesh of his neck as she picked up the pace of her hand even more. His throat vibrated against her mouth with the soft groans that kept escaping from his mouth. "Do you know why you shouldn't tease me Minato?" She asked as she felt him begin to swell in her hand. She quickened her hand even more working him into his orgasm, before she stopped cold and pulled away. She turned mischievious eyes up to lock with shocked blue ones. "Because you might get more back then you bargained for..." She giggled as she stepped out of the shower leaving him behind.

He couldn't believe that really just happened! Did she really just work him up just to leave him to his own devices because she was upset about his teasing? Well that just wouldn't do now would it? After all one must take responsability for their actions, and that meant Sakura too. He hastily turned the shower off and stepped out of it not even bothering to grab a towel to cover himself as he walked back into his bedroom where Sakura was drying off. "Sakura?" He called out causing her to spin around to face him. He took immense pleasure in the way her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she backed away from him. "You shouldn't tease me Sakura..." He repeated her earlier words as he stalked towards her. "Do you know why you shouldn't tease me?" He pinned her to the bed beneath him. She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat and frantically shook her head. He smirked mischieviously as he reached into his nightstand for another condom, which he quickly slipped on. "Because I might give you what you want if you tease me Sakura..." In a single thrust he was buried inside of her. With a groan he started to thrust in and out of her at a fast pace.

Sakura gasped with every stroke as she dug her nails into Minato's back and raked down eliciting a pleased grunt from her lover. Her back arched at a particularly sharp thrust, and the added sensation of a warm mouth on her breast was added. Her mouth opened in a sharp cry at the dual sensations as she unconciously bucked her hips up into his. She felt like she was going to pass out from all the pleasure coarsing through her and she wrapped her thighs around his hips to ground herself as best she could. The coil in her stomach tightened almost painfully before finally giving way in a rush of blinding fire. "MINATO!" She screamed shrilly as her hips bucked up even more erratically.

His name leaving her lips was almost his undoing. He moaned loudly and picked up his pace as she clenched down on him almost painfully. His lips released her breast and he smashed his mouth down on hers. Her body had gone limp so he grasped onto her hips and pulled her to him with every thrust of his hips. He could feel that he was at his limit so he picked up the pace, thrusting into her at an almost inhuman pace till he fell over the edge. "Sakura!" He moaned loudly as he finally slumped against her. Soft pants escaped his lips as he struggled to catch his breath. Sapphire blue eyes turned up to look at the pink haired beauty beneath him. He thought she looked even more beautiful with her green eyes glazed over, and her chest heaving from their activities. And he had never thought she could be any more beautiful than she had been when he first met her. "Hey Beautiful!" He called breathlessly. Her eyes widened at the petname.

"Did you just call me Beautiful?" She asked stupidly. 'Man sex really lowers the IQ doesn't it?' Inner snickered at Sakura. She ignored her and instead focused on the blonde who was resting on his elbows above her.

"Yeah I did call you Beautiful. I think I might call you that sometimes, it fits after all." He said matter of factly. She merely shook her head at him but otherwise did not argue with him. "I know what we will be doing tonight... But what are we doing today?" He laughed when she swatted at him playfully.

"We'll see about tonight." She ignored the slight pout on his face at that. "As for today, we hardly have any food here so I need to go grocery shopping. After that I need to drop off a book to Rin... And I think that's it for today." She wracked her brain for anything else she needed to do but came up empty.

He grimaced at the thought of grocery shopping. "Grocery shopping... Every man's worst fear." He stated jokingly as he hefted himself off of her. "But I am happy at the prospect of seeing Rin. Where are we meeting her at?" He asked as he pulled a pair of clean boxers on. It bothered him that Rin had never wanted her team to come to her home but he never asked her why because he sensed that she was uncomfortable about the topic.

"I figured I would drop by her house and give it to her. We could do it after we finish shopping." Sakura told him as she pulled on a clean outfit consisting of a red long sleeved shirt, and black spandex shorts. She noticed that Minato paused in getting dressed at the mention of going to Rin's home. 'Why is that so weird? Surely he has been to her house before right?' Inner asked curiously. Sakura shrugged her off and took a cautious step towards Minato and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Minato what's wrong?" Her eyes were full of worry.

"Nothing's wrong per se... It's just that Rin never lets any of us come to her home. I was just wondering why that is..." He trailed off thoughtfully. He hurried and finished dressing himself as he shot Sakura and apologetic look. "Sorry for making you worry Beautiful. We should get going." He held out his hand for her to take.

She took his hand with hers as he led her out the door. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the situation...

Several hours later found the two standing outside of Rin's house. Sakura stepped forward and knocked on the door, and a minute later it opened to reveal a stern looking man with brown hair, and eyes. His disposition actually put her off because Rin was such a nice girl! But looking at her father you could tell that he was anything but! So she plastered on a fake smile and greeted the man. "Hello Mr. Nohara I am Rin's Sensei Sakura. Is she home by any chance?" She asked politely.

"She's up in her room, I'll get her for ya." He answered irritably as he closed the door behind him. A few minutes later it opened to reveal Rin.

"Hi Sakura Sensei!" She greeted her cheerfully. Her eyes traveled over Sakura's shoulder to see her other Sensei standing behind her. "Hi Minato Sensei!" She greeted him as well. She turned her attention back to Sakura. "Did you bring the book?" Her brown eyes lit up with excitement when her Sensei pulled the medical text she needed from her pouch. She took it eager to get the two to leave before her dad did something crazy. "This will really help me a lot Sensei thank you!" Her arms wrapped around Sakura for a quick hug before she stepped back. "Well I do need to get back inside before I get scolded. I'm supposed to be helping my dad with things around the house." She kept her face schooled into a look of nonchalance as she turned away to enter her house. A loud crash was heard making her jump out of her skin.

"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT RIN!" Her father's voice called out angrily from somewhere inside the house.

Said girl winced at the murderous tone he had yelled her name with and she gulped nervously. Why did he have to do that in front of her Senseis? She saw the way they were looking at her, like they wanted to know what his deal was. What could she tell them? He had been like this ever since her mother had left. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said quietly refusing to make eye contact.

"Rin wait..." Sakura called out to her as she took a step forward. 'CHA! THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING NOT RIGHT HERE!' Inner roared dangerously. Sakura had to agree with her on this, she had seen the scared look on Rin's face when her father had yelled her name like that. "Rin you know you can tell us anything, right?" She kept her tone soft so as not to alert Rin's father. Rin opened her mouth to answer her when her father roughly yanked the door open startling the poor girl.

"RIN GET INSIDE THE HOUSE!" He roared furiously as he grabbed the young girl roughly by her arm.

"Dad knock it off!" She winced at the pressure of his hand on her already bruise covered arm. "Let go of me!" She cried as she struggled against his hold on her. A flash of yellow and blue shot by her and her arm was immediately released. She turned wide eyes onto Minato Sensei as he pinned her father to the door by his throat. "Sensei..." She took a step forward to stop him but was stopped by Sakura's hand on her shoulder. Her Sensei look posatively murderous as he held her father against the door.

"You son of a bitch!" He spat furiously. How dare this scumbag touch his own daughter like that?! No not just his daughter, but Minato's student! Now everything made sense to him! The reason that Rin didn't want anyone to come to her house was because she didn't want anyone to figure out that her father was abusive with her! He was willing to bet that if he and Sakura looked under her clothes they would find bruises all over the place! He was angry that she hadn't trusted him enough to come to him when she needed help! "You stay the hell away from Rin! If I catch you anywhere near her I will not be held accountable for what I do to you!" He squeezed the man's neck for emphasis before he dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. He turned to his girlfriend, and student briskly. "Rin go into your room and grab everything you need. You're coming to stay with Sakura and I."

Rin did as her Sensei had ordered her to do. With one last sorrowful look at her father's crumpled form she entered the house to get her things together. She entered her room and grabbed a large duffel bag from beside her dresser, and started stuffing her clothes into it. Tears fell from her eyes as she imagined how angry both of her Senseis must be for her keeping this secret from them. She just didn't want to worry anyone! She didn't want her team to think that she was even weaker then they already thought she was, because she let her dad beat on her! But she also didn't want to leave him behind like her mother had left the both of them behind! Why did she leave them like that? Why did she go away and leave her with her father? It was like he blamed her for what her mother did! He never even cared that she was hurting just as much as he was! So why couldn't she stop feeling guilty about being free from this? She shook the thoughts from her mind as she stuffed the rest of her belongings into her bag and zipped it up before exiting her room.

Sakura glared down at the man slumped against the doorframe. She literally had to hold Minato back from slaughtering the man the moment Rin had went inside to get her things. She knew he was protective over his students so she could understand why he wanted to kill the man. Even she wanted to put an end to his sorry excuse of a life! But she held back because she didn't think that Rin would want that. She tightened her arms around Minato in an effort to calm him down just as Rin walked out the front door. "Come on Rin let's go before Minato does something he won't regret." She held out her hand to beckon the girl forward.

Rin paused to look down at her father's slumped form on the ground. Her eyes locked with his own that looked so much like hers. "I'm sorry for whatever you think I did dad." Without another word she joined her Senseis, and the three of them walked away together. She didn't know what to feel about the situation she found herself in. Was she really free after all the years of abuse? More importantly, why did she still feel guilty?

Minato closed the door behind him as he followed the two females further into the apartment. "Rin?" He called catching the young girl's attention. He pointed down the hall towards the room across from Sakura's old room. "You can use the room across from the bathroom." He watched as she walked down the hallway with her head bowed, before he went to help Sakura with the groceries. He didn't say anything as he worked on getting everything put away in the proper places. The guilt had welled up inside of him until he was nearly suffocating on it. Why hadn't he put all the signs together before? The less then full chakra reserves that Rin always seemed to suffer from made sense now. She probably had to expend chakra to heal herself before she came to training everyday so that they wouldn't catch onto what was really going on. And here he had thought that she had been going home to a loving family everyday... As her Sensei he should have realized sooner.

She watched him as he stood in the middle of the kitchen with his head bowed low. He was feeling guilt about Rin's situation even though he was not to blame. Maybe it was the fact that she was a woman and could relate to Rin on a more emotional level. She would have to talk to her about why her father treated her the way he did. But first she had to reassure Minato that he was not to blame for what had been happening to Rin. "Minato Rin wouldn't want you to blame yourself. And it isn't your fault to begin with! If it's anyone's fault it's Rin's father's fault!" She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I know Sakura... I just feel like I should have noticed sooner... Ever since Rin's mom left two years ago she acted different. I guess I just assumed that she was just sad that her mom had left them." He wanted to scream and cry at how he had failed Rin. He wanted to go back and beat that man to death! He had never felt so much hate in a twenty four hour timespan then he had in the last day. First it was Shin, and now it was Rin's dad!? He had come close to commiting murder twice in the last twenty four hours alone! He turned his body to face Sakura and he wrapped his arms around her. "I feel like I failed her..." He admitted quietly.

"No you didn't fail her Minato. Her father failed her. Instead of loving her like she deserved, he hurt her. He's the one that should feel guilt and remorse, not you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. She pecked his lips twice before she pulled away to face him more fully. "I'm gonna go talk to Rin about what happened. I'll talk to you in a bit." She pressed her lips against his once more, before she pulled away and walked out of the kitchen towards Rin's room.

A knock on the door startled Rin from her seated position on the bed. "Come in." She called without turning to look at the door. She already knew who it was anyways. The door open and closed behind her and a small silence filled the room after her Sensei had entered. Footsteps were heard and a moment later the bed dipped beside her as Sakura sat down beside her. "Are you mad at me for not telling you?" She asked her quietly. She would be if she were in Sakura Sensei's position.

Sakura's eyes softened as she stared at the brunette. "No I'm not mad Rin." She answered her softly. How could she even dream of being angry with her? "Why didn't you say anything Rin? We would have helped you if you had told us." Her heart ached for Rin. No one should have to be hurt by the one that should love them the most.

She fought back the sobs that were threatening to escape as she struggled to answer her Sensei. "I didn't want to leave my dad even though he hurt me. I couldn't just abandon him like mom had abandoned us. If I did that then I would be just like her! So even though he blamed me for mom leaving I stayed with him. Maybe I felt like he was right..." She admitted softly. Her mind told her that it was indeed the reason why she had kept this horrible secret for so long, because she did feel responsible. But why did her heart clench up so painfully as it refused to accept what she thought she knew?

"You aren't responsible for your mother's choice Rin. Just like you aren't responsible for your father's choices to hurt you. They both made their choices in life and you had to suffer the consequences. What they did wasn't fair to you Rin. So don't feel fuilty about anything, because you aren't at fault." Sakura pulled Rin into a hug as the girl started to shake with her sobs. She just held Rin for what seemed like forever until her sobs died down to quiet sniffles and she slumped against Sakura in exhaustion. Her green eyes caught Minato as he stood in the doorway watching them, she knew that he was listening the whole time. Her eyes left him and came to rest on Rin as she stroked the young girl's hair and hummed soothingly to her. Rin was exhausted after everything that had happened that day, and she had finally succumbed to sleep. Sakura removed her headband as she laid her down and adjusted the covers around her. She leaned down to press a kiss to Rin's forehead. "Good night Rin I love you." She whispered against the girl's forehead before she pulled away. No matter what happened they would look out for her. As she turned and made her way to Minato she risked one last glance at Rin. "Because that's what a family does... They look out for each other." She smiled to herself as she closed the door behind her. That was what they all were... A family... 


	14. Chapter 14

Alright I already posted chapter 14 but for some reason my computer deleted all of the content so sorry for that!  
I want to answer some questions for you guys before I start off.  
First Danzo is not responsible for Rin's kidnapping. I did look into it because I want to make sure that everything is as accurate as possible! Second there will not be lemons in every chapter because I don't want younger readers to be overwhelmed by them! One more thing I would like to say is that my updates will be farther in between because my brothers are off on winter break and I don't have as much computer access, add that to the fact that we just had a huge ice storm and it knocked the power out! Luck is not my friend right now... Now that I have all of that out of the way on with the chapter! I do not own Naruto!

Blue eyes shot open at the sound of a door being opened and the soft padding of feet down the hallway. Minato glanced down at the pink haired woman who was sound asleep in his arms before he got up to check on Rin. He crept out of the room and down the hallway towards the kitchen and peered around the corner. Rin was sitting at the table facing away from him with her sleeves rolled up as her medical jutsu healed the bruises on her arms. Her once pale skin was decorated in splotches of purple, and brown. It made him sick to think that her father had done this to her. "Rin?" He called making his prescense known as he stepped into the kitchen. Said girl whirled on him as she desperately tried to cover her arms from his view.

"Minato Sensei what are you doing up? I didn't wake you I hope!" She smiled at him with false cheerfulness. He had seen the very thing she had tried so desperately to hide! What was she supposed to say to him now?

"Rin why? Why didn't you come and tell me that your father was hurting you? Did you not trust me enough to protect you?" He frowned at the young girl. Did she not trust him and her teamates to protect her from anything? Did she not know that she could count on them whenever she needed them?

Did she not trust him enough to protect her? The thought was ridiculous because she trusted her Senseis, and teamates more then anything! How could she just come out and tell them about the very thing that made her feel so ashamed of herself? She hated being the weak link as it was! She bowed her head and refused to meet his eyes. "I didn't want my team to think I was even more weak then they thought I was. And I felt like maybe I deserved it for not making mom stay with us. If I had paid more attention to how she was acting then I could've done something to stop her." Hot tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, as her shoulders shook with sobs that she tried desperately to keep in.

He took two quick strides forward and drew the young girl into a hug. He couldn't stand to see one of his students looking so broken and hurt like this! Especially not Rin. She had been putting everything she had into her training so that she could become the kunoichi she wanted to be. Anyone who had a drive like hers could not be considered weak. "You are anything but weak Rin. Without you, Team Minato wouldn't be what we are today. We've all grown, but I think you've grown the most. So keep putting everyting you've got into your training, because your team will always be there for you. And even when they aren't, Sakura, and I will be." He held her tighter to him as her sobs died down into quiet sniffles against his t-shirt. His senses chose that moment to kick in and alert him to the fact that Sakura was in the hallway listening to their conversation. She was just as worried about Rin as he was...

Rin stepped back from her Sensei as she swiped away the evidence of her sadness with her sleeve. Those words had made a huge impact on how she would view herself from now on. They had reassured her that she was responsible for her own fate. They made her feel like she was foolish for letting her father hold her back from being who she wanted to be. She resolved herself to become even stronger so that she would never feel like a burden to anyone again. "Thank you Sensei I really needed to hear that from you. I will keep working hard so that I will be deserving of your praise." She beamed happily at the older man. She really felt like she was startig over as a completely new person, and she owed that to Minato, and Sakura.

"Anytime Rin. You should probably get to bed though, you have training in the morning." He shooed her down the hall and into her room before returning to his own. Sakura was facing him with a smile on her face. "You should know better then to eavesdrop Sakura..." He scolded playfully as he slid into the bed next to her and pulled her to him.

"I was just making sure that Rin was okay. And besides, I let you feel my prescense Minato. If I didn't want you to know then you wouldn't have felt me there." A cocky smirk crossed her lips as sheran her fingers through his hair. He pouted at her and it looked so adorable that she wanted to squeeze his cheeks like he was a baby, if only to annoy him further...

"Do you really doubt my skills that much Sakura? Because if you do then I will just have to show you who you are dealing with!" He smiled mischieviously at her horrified look as he flipped her onto her back.

"NO! I didn't mean it that way! Jeez give my poor body a break!" She tried squirming away from him but he had her effectively pinned under his weight. He leaned in slowly like a predator but before he had a chance to make contact with her neck a poof was heard right next to the bed. Letting out a shriek Sakura quickly shoved Minato off of her as she brought the blankets up to cover her less then covering pajamas.

"Sorry for the interuption Namikaze-san, but the Hokage requests both of your prescense immediately." The anbu with a tiger mask barely got the words out before poofing back out of the room, leaving one very annoyed man, and one relieved woman behind.

Sakura opened the door o the hokage's office and almost froze on the spot. There standing not two feet from Jiraiya was Yamato-taichou! 'Awww he looks so adorable!' Inner squealed girlishly. Sakura had to agree with her. His face was so round and childlike, while his brown hair was even shaggier then in her time. She had to wonder why he was here though. Surely a mission requiring Jiraiya, Minato, and her would be too advanced for a chunin. Her eyes darkened at the memory of Kakashi almost dying on their last mission and she wanted to protest his prescense. The Hokage seemed to sense what she wanted to say because he shook his head sharply to silence her. She bit her lip in irritation as she made her way to the Hokage's desk with Minato close behind.

Hiruzen looked over the four ninja before him with solemn eyes. He had a special reason for having Yamato on this mission. He had already informed Jiraiya of his reasoning and the Sannin had agreed with it, so there was no reason for him to waste time convincing Sakura. She would just have to deal the best she could. "I have called you all here to investigate a small facility just a few hours outside of Konoha. There have been multiple dissapearancs in the vicinity and we believe that they may have been taken to the facility for reasons unknown." He leveled Sakura with a hard gaze as he voiced the part that would no doubt bother her the most. "The people who are dissapearing are all young children who have an affiliation to prominent clans that are located outside of Konoha." The pinkette tensed up this not going unnoticed by the other occupants of the room. Hiruzen could feel the smoldering anger rolling off of her. "Your mission is to investigate the facility and recover anyone who is alive. You leave immediately. Dismissed!" They all poofed out of the room leaving the Hokage to his thoughts. He hoped that they would not need Yamato at all...

As they neared their destination Sakura could not stop thinking about the situation they were in. All fingers pointed in Orochimaru's direction and fo that reason she was worried. Not for her group, but for the innocent children he had no doubt been experimenting on. She was already wound and on edge and the others could sense it, if Minato's close proximity to her was an indication. This mission was going to test the limits of her self control, and she wasn't sur f she would pass. The things that Orochimaru did to people were absolutely horrendous. But the thought that children could be going through these things... No amount of preperation was enough when dealing with Orochimaru. But she had to hold it together as best she could... Now it made sense why the okage had sent Yamato with them. She just hoped that it wouldn't come to that...

"There are no guards patrolling the place... I don't even sense any chakra signatures inside!" Jiraiya mused as the group surveyed the decent sized stone building. His gut told him that there was something wrong here. Why would anyone kidnap children from prominent clans and not have anyone guarding them? "We go in and split up to search the place. If anyone finds anything, or gets into trouble radio for backup. We will meet back at the entrance in a half hour." They immediately went to go their seperate ways, but Minato couldn't help but shoot his girlfriend one last worried look. He had a bad feeling about this...

Sakura made her way down the dimly lit corridor being mindful of any traps. She had yet to run into any which was odd. The doors were all open leading to sparsely furnished bedrooms. But there was no sign of any of the children here! Where could Orochimaru have taken them? "Damn snake..." She hissed bitterly. She turned the corner and descended a flight of stairs. When she reached the bottom there was a long corridor that led to one door at the opposite end. It was dark and a sinister vibe wafted from the slightly ajar door several meters away from her. She approached it almost hesitantly and placed a hand on it to push it open, and the sight that greeted her made liquid fire flood her veins.

Bodies lined the room from one end to the other. Some were tied down to tables, and others were strewn from the ceiling, and some were even suspended in tanks of foul smelling liquid. But the one thing they all had in common was the fact that they were all children. The children that they had been sent to rescue were already dead...

"You should know better then to intrude on one's research Sakura..." A sinister voice echoed from the darkness surrounding her. Eyes just like that of a snakes lit up directly across from her as a tall man with long black hair, pale white skin, and purple markings under his eyes stepped out to face her. "They didn't serve much purpose..." He gestured to the bodies strewn about the room before focusing back on her. "But I have been watching you... I think you are a worthy specimen. Much more interesting to study then a bunch of brats with no true talent."

He truly was the epitome of a monster! She was aware that she was drawing power from Kurama at an alarming rate, but she was helpless to stop it. Her body felt like it was on fire as the red chakra flooded her chakra network and permeated the air around her. "You... You son of a bitch! I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!" She roared animalistically as her eyes turned red and slitted like the foxs'.

"Kit calm down! You're drawing power much too fast for anyone to take! You have to-!" Kurama was cut off when the pinkette lunged viciously at Orochimaru.

"SHUT UP!" She shrieked as her body immediately became enveloped in the Nine Tails cloak. Before her conciousness faded completely she felt a sharp pain in her side fuelling her anger. Blackness consumed her leaving her dead to the world as she rampaged.

Minato looked up as his Sensei, and Yamato approached him at the designated meeting place. He was becoming worried about Sakura because she had not shown up yet. "Did you guys find anything?" He asked his comrades with as much interest as he could muster. All he really wanted to do was find Sakura.

Jiraiya shook his head at the blonde whose mind was obviously somewhere else. "Sakura's not back yet? Maybe she found something." He flicked on the radio on his ear and spoke into it. "Sakura come in. Come in Sakura!" Worry flooded not only him but the other members of the group at Sakura's failure to respond. Minato looked like he was ready to leave everyone behind to go track her down. "I'm sure she's alright Minato. She is probably the strongest kunoichi in Konoha! Have a little fai-" A huge explosion sounded from somewhere deep inside the facility making the ground shake from the force. "Damn! Minato-!" Said man had bolted in the direction of the sound without even hearing what his Sensei had said. "Stick close Yamato!" He called to the young boy as he took off in the direction Minato had gone in.

"Sakura you better be okay!" Minato breathed out in a state of almost panic. He raced down the stairs and down the corridor in the direction fighting could be heard from. Red chakra seeped from the open door and it made his blood run cold. He could vaguely feel that his teamates had caught up with him as he moved forward to push the door open. "Sakura...?" He whispered as his eyes landed on the woman who was covered in a thick mass of the sinister red chakra. Four red tails stuck up from her bottom, and fox like ears adorned her head. She had blown the roof of and destroyed half of the facility in a second. She wasn't even acknowleding her team as she continued to lash out at a form he vaguely recognized as Orochimaru. He heard his Sensei shout at Yamato and in the blink of an eye the boy was in front of him performing handsigns that he was not familiar with.

Wood beams covered in spikes on one side surrounded Sakura as a beam of green chakra shot from Yamato's hand and connected with the necklace on Sakura's neck. Yamato grunted with the effort of trying to subdue Sakura in her enraged form. He had not previously done this so it was taking its toll on him. He pushed more chakra into the necklace as the beams wrapped around Sakura constricting her movements. A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the woman's mouth as the red chakra slowly started to recede leaving bloody and torn skin in its wake.

"You survived... I'll be watching you from now on codename Yamato. And Sakura as well..." Orochimaru chuckled darkly as he dissapeared into the ground.

The Nine tails chakra finally receded into the seal on Sakura's stomach as the pinkette fell unconcious. Minato ran forward and caught her as the wooden beams finally released her causing her to plummet towards the ground.

"Sakura!? Say something!" His chest tightened at the blood, and shreded skin that was all that was left of her once creamy skin. There was a gaping wound in her side where it looked like something had been thrusted into her body. "Shouldn't the Nine tails chakra be healing this?!" He turned desperate eyes onto Jiraiya who was holding up a sword covered in a purple substanse.

"He cut her off from the Nine tails chakra... We need to get her back to Konoha now!" Jiraiya stated solemnly.

Jiraiya's words scared the blonde more then he would like to admit and he cast panicked eyes down on Sakura's unconcious form. He wouldn't let her die. No one mattered more in the world to him then her.

Sorry for the cliffy ending but I had to get this posted today! I'll update again in the next few days so look forward to it. And to whoever keeps flaming me a dozen times today please just stop it. If you don' like this pairing don't read the story! Simple as that!


	15. Chapter 15

Here's the next update for you guys! Sorry about all the typos in the last chapter, my cousin needed to borrow our keybard so we're stuck with his crappy wireless one that doesn't like to work sometimes. At some point I will go back and edit the chapters to make sure the spelling is right. On another note I was thinking about starting another Min/Saku fic where Minato goes into the future. What do you guys think? Let me know if you think I should start it after I finish this story in your reviews! Anyways on with the chapter! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

Minato gripped the unconscious woman tighter to him as he turned to adress his Sensei. "I'll use the thunder god technique to get her to the hospital right away! Will you two be alright coming back on your own?" He didn't want anything to befall his other comrades but Sakura's survival came first.

"We'll be fine Minato! Now get her to Tsunade before she dies!" Jiraiya barked to snap his student gear. The blonde disappeared before he could blink and he heaved a heavy sigh. "I hope Tsunade can overcome her fear of blood long enough to help Sakura..." He muttered to himself worriedly.

In the blink of an eye Minato was standing in Konoha's hospital lobby. "HEY I NEED HELP RIGHT AWAY!" He yelled to any available staff that was within his proximity. Several medics and nurses ran forward and placed Sakura on a gurney. He followed them down the hall as they wheeled her into the emergency room at the end of the hall. A brunette that he vaguely remembered to be Shiori stopped him with her hand to his chest. He turned eyes full of irritation, and fear onto the small woman.

"Namikaze-san you can't come in here. You will just be in the way of us doing our jobs." Minato looked like he wanted to protest but she cut him off before he could say anything else. "Could you please go fetch Tsunade-sama? The poison that was used is very complex and we will need her help." The blonde disappeared from her vision before she had even finished her sentence. Her heart broke for him. He really loved Sakura more than anyone ever thought he could in such a short time. With a sigh she turned to make her way into the madhouse that was the emergency room.

Tsunade flipped through a scroll on sealing jutsu that she believe could be used to seal the Nine tails without killing the user. She had theorized that if Sakura released her yin seal immediately after the extraction took place, the rush of chakra and cells would repair her body enough for her to survive it. And if not, Tsunade had been working on a jutsu that would ensure that Sakura would survive if all else failed. She sensed a familiar chakra signature and she let out an irritated grunt. "So much for getting any work done..." She huffed as she threw her scroll down. Not even a second later Minato had burst through her door like some kind of madman. She was about to make some kind of nasty retort but anything she had to say died in her throat at the look of terror in the man's eyes.

"Granny Sakura is hurt! We have to get to the hospital right away!" He cursed himself for not placing a seal on Tsunade so that he could just teleport to her anytime. Looking for her had taken away precious time that Sakura did not have to waste. A look of fear passed through her eyes but she came to him just the same. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as he activated his Thunder God technique. They landed back in the hospital lobby just in time for a nurse to run out from the ER towards Tsunade.

"Tsunade-sama come quick! Sakura-san's injuries won't heal and the poison keeps spreading!" The woman's voice was absolutely frantic belying how bad the situation really was. Without another word she turned and made her way back to the ER to inform the other doctors that Tsunade was coming. Tsunade followed close behind albeit hesitantly.

"Save her Granny... You're the only one who can." Minato whispered brokenly as he took a seat in one of the lobby's chairs. He wouldn't leave this place without Sakura, even if he had to wait for days. She was going to make it. The God's had other plans for her and he knew that this could not be the end of the line for her.

Tsunade pushed aside the doors to the room Sakura was in and she froze as her hemophobia kicked in. "Blood..." She whimpered as she shook like a leaf. Sakura was covered in it from head to toe from the torn skin due to the Nine tails cloak. Dan, and Nawaki's deaths started to replay over and over again in her mind and soon tears were running down her face. She could vaguely heart the medics calling desperately for her help but she was helpless to do anything to do anything. She wasn't good enough! She wasn't skilled enough to help anyone anymore! She couldn't even try because the blood was mocking her with its color, and smell.

"Tsunade-sama help us!" Shiori called out to the blonde woman who was having a breakdown in the middle of the room. She had to get over her fears! They couldn't save Sakura without her! Almost immediately after that thought Sakura's heart monitor palpitated and finally flatlined. "TSUNADE-SAMA!" She screamed as she moved to shock Sakura's heart.

Tsunade's head snapped up at the brunette's terrified scream. "Sakura..." She rasped out her voice cracking because of her fear. Every moment they had spent together flashed by in her mind in a second. Before she even knew what had happened she was standing over the pinkette barking orders to the staff as she focused on getting Sakura's heart beating again. She was still shaking in fear, but she would be damned if her fear stopped her from saving someone she cared about again! "Come on Sakura! Breathe damn it!" She chanted as she sent another jolt to the young woman's heart. She wouldn't die! Tsunade would not allow Sakura to die and leave her behind!

It was white...almost blindingly so... Green eyes cracked open and took in the infinite white space around her. "Wasn't I here before...?" She whispered to herself as she spun in the air in an attempt to get a better view of her surroundings. 'Yeah we were her before... When we went back in time we were in this place first...' Inner stated solemnly. "Yeah you're right we were here that time weren't we? But why are we here now?" Her head felt hazy and clouded and she could barely recall the events that had transpired that had led her to this place. Her head snapped to the right when a quiet female chuckle was heard. A woman with long black hair, and brown eyes stepped out from the space around her. She was dressed in what appeared to be standard shinto priestess garbs. "Who are you? What have you done to me?" Sakura asked defensively.

"My name is Sakuya and I am a seeress. I have watched you since you were born Sakura." The woman known as Sakuya hovered closer to the pinkette and ran a hand across her cheek. "You were born in this time to begin with. So it is like you have returned after a long trip away." She caress the long pink strands of Sakura's hair almost affectionately.

"I was born here... But how is that possible?! I grew up with Naruto and Sasuke who were born in the time that I grew up in!" Sakura's mind was racing with the memories that she had always held precious to her. So she was never meant to experience them with those people? It was by the grace of this woman that she was able to grow up with her friends. Why did that revelation tear at her heart more then she would like to admit? Was this why she was never able to find love even when she felt she already had? Was it because she was not meant to be with either Naruto, or Sasuke? She understood that she would be Naruto's mother this time around so thinking about him like that was strange to her now. And Sasuke? Well it was Sasuke that said enough to everyone who asked. But if she was born here then who was she really? She couldn't be a Haruno if she was born in Konoha in this time. The Harunos had not even come to Konoha yet. "If what you are telling me is the truth, then who am I?" She turned and rested her gaze on the beautiful woman's face.

"You were born in Uzushiogakure to a branch of the Uzumaki clan. I thought it was so odd when you were born with pink hair instead of red... But it always suited you Sakura." She smiled almost wistfully at the stunned expression on the pinkette's face.

"So I'm actually an Uzumaki?" Sakura asked almost disbelievingly. Everything she thought she knew about herself was being spun out of control. She wasn't a Haruno? She was an Uzumaki? But why is all of this happening?! "How did all of this happen?" She asked stunned.

"Well your family was killed when you were still just a toddler. The Uzumaki's were hunted because of their close affiliation to the Senju clan. That is why your real parents were killed. I took you after the massacre had happened and sent you forward in time. As a seeress I have the ability to do this only a limited number of times andI limited my remaining uses to you. I needed you to grow up surrounded by strong people Sakura so that you woule become strong as well. The people that you knew are the ones who shaped you into the kunoichi that you are today! Everything that has happened has shaped not only you, but the timeline as well. This time was shaped to more easily adapt to your arrival back here. So take this chance to prevent all the catastrophies from befalling again. That is the reason why you were chosen." Sakuya watched the pinkette as the gears turned and she mulled over everything Sakuya had told her.

"So I will have to watch my friends grow up, instead of growing up with them like I should have done in the first place?" She knew that she would never be a teammate to Naruto, and Sasuke. She knew that she would never be a student to Kakashi again... But to hear that she had never truly been meant to be bothered her more then she would like. Whose place had she taken? Who was really meant to be on team seven? 'Not us...' Inner whispered sadly. It was bothering them both more then it should have. Would she be content to just watch them from afar as a protector? Would it be enough to just be Naruto's mom?

"It has to be enough Sakura..." Sakuya spoke softly sensing the pinkette's mixed feelings about the revelation of her life. The pinkette snapped her wide eyes onto Sakuya's in shock.

"How did you...?" Sakura's mouth opened and closed as she sputtered in disbelief.

"I can always tell what you are thinking Sakura... When I sent you back in time to join the people you were meant to grow up with, I became a part of you. I am a permanent part of your mind because I am no longer able to be with you in body anymore."

"You died when you sent me back didn't you?" Green eyes glazed over with sorrow at the sacrifice the other woman had more than willingly made for her. "I... Thank you Sakuya. I won't let this gift you have given me go to waste. I'll make sure that no one suffers like that again." A promise made between two women who had sacrificed everything to serve a higher purpose. Sakura the one who would shape the future, and Sakuya the one who had given her the chance to do so. 'You know her name is almost identical to ours...' Inner chose that moment to muse. Sakura merely shook her head at her Inner spirit. "So does all this mean that I was originally meant to be the Nine tails jinchuuriki, and not Kushina?" Sakura asked curiously.

"There was talk of it among the clan before your family was killed, and you disappeared. They decided after that, that Kushina would have to become the jinchuuriki in your stead. But Mito disappeared so they weren't able to seal it inside of Kushina. In the end you were always meant to have it, well until you decide whether or not to pass it onto Naruto." Sakuya shrugged at the end of her response. The whiteness around them flickered and voices started flooding in. "Well it's time for you to go home Sakura. Please don't make near death situations a habit just so that you can come and see me." Sakuya glared playfully at the pinkette who was pouting at her.

"I won't! Bye Sakuya! And thank you for everything that you've done for me!" Sakura waved at her as the voices started to pull her in like a vortex.

"Sakura please wake up!"

"Sensei is Sakura going to be okay?"

"Of course she will be Rin! Sakura Sensei is a total badass!"

"Obito don't cuss in the hospital!" She heard the voices of her team bickering as she finally slipped from the white abyss and into the waning darkness.

"Ooh... Why don't you all just be quiet?" Sakura groaned as her eyes finally flickered open. Four figures immediately surrounded her from all sides making her feel trapped. Vibrant green eyes searched until they found bright blue and she smiled at Minato. She went to speak again but the burning in her throat was coming full force and all she could manage was a pained squeak. One of the figures disappeared and a moment later a glass of ice water was thrust into her hand courtesy of Obito. Her body was weak from the poison and she struggled to sit up until Minato wrapped an arm around her shoulders to prop her up. She was parched and she gulped down the entire contents of the glass in one go. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she handed the glass over to Minato to place on her nightstand. "Thank you for the help guys." She said as she was lowered back into the pillows. After she was settled back in she took in the concerned faces of her team. "How long was I out for?" She took in the way that Minato's face darkened at her words.

"You were out for four days. Honestly Sakura, Tsunade wasn't sure if you would come out of it at all! Do you have any idea how scared I was?!" His voice shook with the effort it took to contain his temper. Normally his anger didn't show verbally, but this was an exception. She had scared him more than he had ever been scared in his entire life! He shot his students a look that they clearly understood as a sign to leave them, and they filed out hesitantly. Minato turned his attention back to the pinkette who was mustering the best glare she could under the circumstances.

"What did you make them leave for?!" She huffed angrily as she crossed her arms over her chest. 'Minato looks so cute when he's angry at you! Maybe he'll whip you later!' Inner giggled as she made a whipping motion with her hand. Sakura fought back the blush that threatened to overtake her cheeks at Inner's perverted comments. She did have an angry blonde boyfriend to deal with. "Look if I scared you I am sorry! I lost control of myself because of Orochimaru! But I'm alive and well so relax a little!" Green eyes clashed with blue hues that were darkening with absolute fury.

"Relax?! You almost died Sakura! Why must you always get yourself into dangerous situations that almost get you killed? Do you think I like seeing the woman I love lifeless like that?!" He stood and abruptly started pacing around her hospital room. "It hurts when you see the person you care about the most hurt! It drives me absolutely crazy knowing that there's nothing I can do to help you when you are like that! You drive me crazy Sakura you know that?!" He spun around to face the stunned pinkette. He stalked back towards her as she shrunk back away in slight fear.

"Minato?" Sakura whispered nervously as she shrunk back farther into her bed so that she was pressed against the wall. He was in her face now and their noses were actually touching. Her eyes quivered at the look in his eyes. Possessiveness and love shone through above all else at this moment and it made her throat run dry. She opened her mouth to say something to him but he chose that moment to slam his lips down on hers effectively cutting off any retort she had. A gasp escaped her mouth and he took the chance to slide his tongue into her mouth to run against hers. He lifted himself onto the bed and layered himself on top of her so that he was not pressing down on her sore body. "Minato we should not be doing this in the hospital!" Sakura panted out as his mouth left hers to leave love bites on her neck. He blatantly ignored her as he began sucking on the pulse point of her neck causing her to arch into him. A searing pain welled up in her side from the stab wound that Orochimaru had inflicted on her. A pained cry escaped her mouth and almost instantly Minato had pulled away and was looking down on her in worry.

"Shit Sakura did I hurt you?!" He cursed under his breath as his eyes caught the blood leaking through her hospital gown. He reached over for the call button and pushed it to alert the staff that Sakura was in need of assistance. Not even a moment later the door was thrust open and an enraged Tsunade stalked into the room and roughly yanked Minato off of the bed.

"What are you a heathen?! She's injured you moron!" Tsunade barked viciously as she tossed Minato to the side. He landed on his feet and smirked cheekily at her much to her annoyance. She huffed and turned her attention to Sakura to address her newly reopened wound courtesy of the blonde idiot.

"Shishou I can mend it myself! I know you have hemophobia and I don't want you to be uncomfortable!" Sakura attempted to bring her hands to the wound but they were slapped away by Tsunade.

"Oh no you will not! That poison was a real nasty one! It completely scrambled your chakra network!" Tsunade hissed irritably as she pressed her glowing green hands to Sakura's now exposed side. She hadn't had the chakra to heal it completely after the poison extraction so she had to leave it for a later time. The wound slowly stitched itself back together inch after painstaking inch, and after a few more moments it had closed completely.

"Shishou you healed me when I was bleeding..." Sakura stated dumbfounded. Minato's earlier words that without Tsunade she would have died came back to her and she smiled brightly at her Shishou. "Finally overcame your fear of blood eh? Better late then never I guess!" Sakura giggled at the furious glare her Shishou sent her.

"You're as bad as the Namikaze brat!" She turned to Minato who was snickering into his hand at the interaction between the two women. "You're a bad influence on Sakura you brat! Now take her and get the hell out of my hospital!" She barked as she spun on her heel and made to exit the room. "Oh and no strenuous activities Sakura! That means no sex with your man candy over there either!" Tsunade smiled smugly at Minato whose face dropped.

"Old bat!" Minato griped as he moved to help Sakura stand. He retrieved an outfit for her from the wardrobe and helped her dress much to her annoyance. Once she was dressed in one of his red t-shirts and a pair of her spandex shorts he hefted her into his arms against her protests that she could walk.

"You always manhandle me! I can walk just fine on my own Minato!" She even resorted to beating on his chest with her fists but she lacked the energy to do any real damage. She huffed and turned her head away from him childishly. She almost wanted to go back to the hospital. Almost... Normally she would have been kept for a few more days, but Tsunade had probably figured that she would go crazy and tear the hospital to the ground. Which she probably would... And with herself being the top medic of Konoha, and having Minato waiting on her hand and foot, she figured that she would be ok.

Opening the door to their apartment they were met with the rest of team seven. Minato walked in and deposited Sakura onto the couch before he went to fetch something for her to drink. He listened in on his team as they all interacted with Sakura.

"Sakura Sensei are you really well enough to be out of the hospital? You were poisoned and hurt really bad after all..." Rin asked as she moved to the couch next to Sakura. She hoped that Tsunade knew what she was doing letting Sakura out of the hospital so soon...

"YEAH RIN'S RIGHT!" Obito yelled as he jumped up on the couch to sit on the other side of Sakura. He brought his face up close to hers like he was inspecting her for something.

"Idiot! Get out of her face!" Kakashi smacked the hyperactive Uchiha upside the head. He turned to Sakura while Obito was busy whining on the floor. "I do agree with Rin though. Is it really safe for you to be out of the hospital so soon?"

Sakura sighed at the overprotective teenagers. "I will be fine you three! I am Konoha's top medical ninja! And I do have Minato here looking after me! I doubt I'll even be able to go to the bathroom by myself for the next week!" Sakura sighed when she heard the blonde laugh as he walked back into the living room. She was going to take it that he was agreeing with her statement. 'He's such a sexy pervert!' Inner swooned dreamily. Sakura groaned out loud at her Inner's spirit's comment, leave it to Inner to muck up her mind beyond repair. The others must have taken her groan of annoyance as a groan of pain because the next thing she knew everyone besides Minato was instantly in her face asking if she was okay. "Calm down you three! I was just thinking about something that bothered me is all!" Her words pacified the teens to some degree and they all sat back down on the ground.

"What happened to you Sensei? It isn't like you to lose your cool." Kakashi shifted closer to the pinkette waiting for an answer to his question. All the members of team seven leaned in closer to hear what she had to say as well, even Minato.

"The children that Orochimaru was experimenting on died..." Her eyes darkened in anger, and sadness as she recalled the deformed bodies that were all that remained of those innocent souls. "He treated them like they didn't even matter to anyone... I just couldn't stand it and I lost control of myself..." Her voice quivered and broke with the emotion that leaked through. "I don't really feel like discussing it anymore right now..." She trailed off as she averted her eyes from the people around her. Her thoughts wandered to Orochimaru and their confrontation. Did he want her because of Kurama? Of was it because he had found out about her relation to the Uzumakis? When they met next time she would rend the answers from before she took his life. It was a promise. And if there was one thing she learned from Naruto, it was that you keep your promises!


	16. Chapter 16

Hey guys here's the next update for the story!  
Before I start though I want to clear up that I am not a Kushina hater. I portrayed her the way I did in this story for a reason and you will see it eventually. As for Sakura being a descendant of the Uzumakis in this story, well think of it this way, could you imagine Naruto not being an Uzumaki? Another thing I want to bring up is my writing style. I don't really plot each chapter ahead of time, I just sit down and knowing what happened in previous chapters I make up the majority of the story on the spot! So sometimes things don't seem to tie together to me at first but in the end it seems to turn out alright. I just wanted to let you all know that. Anyways on with the story! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! LEMON ALERT!

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Sakura crept down the hallway towards the kitchen being mindful not to wake Minato, or Rin from their slumber. It had been almost a week since she had been released from the hospital and her mind had been racing with the memories of her encounter with Orochimaru. He had said he would be keeping an eye on her. What did he mean by that? She burrowed her head in her hands as she sat down at the table. Did it have something to do with the fact that she was in fact an Uzumaki? They were known to possess unique skills in most cases, along with a lengthened lifespan. That was what made them the best candidates for being jinchuurikis. "What does he want with me?" She whispered under her breath as she lifted her head to look out the window. 'He had been labeled a traitor to Konoha and he is not allowed within the village walls though. So he would be a fool to try and enter the village in the first place.' Inner spoke reassuringly. That was true. After the Third had found out for a fact that it was indeed Orochimaru who was responsible for the kidnapping, and murders of fellow citizens of Fire country, he had labeled him an S class criminal and traitor of Konoha. But did that mean that she was safe within Konoha? There was another influential man here who would be trouble in the near future. Danzo had not even acknowledged her until she had reported to the Hokage about Orochimaru's activities. She could still remember what he had said to her after she had left the Third's office.

(Flashback)

Sakura closed the door to the Hokage's office as she turned to make her way out of the Hokage tower. She froze in her spot at the sight of a brown haired man whose face and arm was covered in bandages. "Danzo..." She hissed dangerously. This man was responsible for the Uchiha massacre! She was even willing to bet that he had already begun experimenting and implanting sharingan eyes into his bandage covered flesh. Her body coiled like a snake as he moved towards her.

"I find it odd that we have never met kunoichi... Why is that?" He spoke almost retorically. His one eye was trained intensely on her as if he was trying to figure her out. "Could it be that you are not truly from Konoha?" A smirk lit up on his lips at the way the color drained from the pink haired woman's face. Her mouth opened and closed of its own accord before she snapped it shut.

She scowled at the smirking man across from her, and she had to restrain herself from lunging at him. She still had not fully recovered from the poison and she was in no condition to fight. "The Hokage is the only one that I answer to! If he deems it safe for me to be in Konoha, then you should trust his judgement!" She glared harshly at the man who in her eyes was more of a traitor then anyone could ever be. He was worse then Orochimaru and that was saying something! The smug look fell from his face and he took a menacing step forward so that he was standing right in front of her.

"I wonder what the Uzumaki clan would have to say about you if they found out that you housed the Nine tails... That would implicate you in Mito's disapearance, and you would be viewed with suspision and distrust. What would Kushina have to say if she found out that you took not only her lover, but her birthright as well?" He smiled sadistically as the woman in front of him shrunk back away from him. "I will be watching you Sakura Uzumaki..." With that he turned on his heel and walked out of the Hokage's tower a smirk on his face.

(End flashback)

So here she sat three days after the encounter still unsure of what she should do about it. First Orochimaru, and now Danzo have come forward and warned her that she needed to watch her back at all times. Or at least that was how she took their messages to her. She honestly didn't know who she should be more worried about at this point... Danzo could tear her apart at the seems by exposing her status as Kurama's jinchuuriki. But Orochimaru was out there actively kidnapping, and murdering innocent people as a means to create an immortality jutsu. "What am I supposed to do?" She moaned in a self depracating manner. A shuffle coming from the hallway made her head snap towards the kitchen entrance a second before Minato padded into the kitchen. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he studied his girlfriend's slumped form at the kitchen table.

"Sakura what are you doing up? Are you feeling ill again because of the after effects of the poison?" He shuffled over and put a hand to her forehead to check if she had a fever. As he was doing this his eyes wandered down to her face which was clouded over with uncertainty. He pulled back and took a seat in the chair next to her. "Something has been bothering you all week Sakura. What is it?" Blue eyes narrowed when she blatantly turned her head so that she was facing anywhere but him. Whatever she was hiding was bothering her immensely and he intended to find out what it was right now. He had been patient in waiting until she was ready to talk to him, but this was getting ridiculous! His hand shot out and firmly grasped her chin and turned her face so that she wasn't able to look away. "I am not playing games when it comes to you, and your safety Sakura! Whatever has you so worried is something that I need to know about!" He fixed her with a firm glare.

She didn't know why she was hiding anything from Minato. Honestly he was the one person that she could count on more than anyone in this time. She just didn't want him to be overwhelmed with worry for her safety. Especially since she knew how he would react when he found out about what Danzo had said to her. If it was anything like what had happened with Rin's father, it would not be pretty. The Third would not be happy about that mess if it came to happen. But when Minato was looking at her so earnestly she found that she could never lie to him. "Promise you won't go nuts..." She started hesitantly. He frowned at her but otherwise did not say anything. "After I reported to the Hokage about what happened with Orochimaru, I got into a confrontation with Danzo." Her eyes came up to lock onto his own that were darkening with suspision, and anger.

"What did Danzo say to you?" His voice broke with barely restrained anger. After everything Sakura had told them about what that man had done in the future, he could only detest the man. He would cause so much heartache to everyone in Konoha. Minato wished he could get rid of him now. If he came within an inch of Sakura again it would not be pretty! "Sakura what happened?!" He asked impatiently when she had failed to answer him.

"Before I tell you what he said I need to tell you something else that happened." She reached out and grasped his hand to ground herself. "When I was unconscious I met a woman in my mind." She looked up to see that he looked confused as to where this was going. "She was the one who told the Third that I would be coming. She told him that I would show up to change the future one day." Her teeth ran over her bottom lip nervously as he contemplated what she had told him.

"I always wondered why he accepted you so quickly... Even I was uncertain of whether you were an enemy or not at first. But the old man just seemed to know you..." His brows furrowed as he ran his mind over the first encounter that the three of them had when Sakura had first come to Konoha. Hiruzen's eyes had lit up with a look that Minato had not been able to decipher at the time. Now that he looked back on it, the emotions running through his eyes were excitement, and hope. He guessed that he could understand how the man felt now that he thought about it. But where exactly was Sakura going with this? "So this woman..." He turned to Sakura uncertainly.

"Sakuya is her name, and she told me that I was actually born in this time to a branch of the Uzumaki clan." He looked even more confused then ever. She had to restrain herself from pinching his cheeks at how cute he looked when he was confused. "My family was killed and Sakuya saved me by sending me to the future. She said that I needed to grow up there so that I could be stronger. She told me that I needed those people to shape me into the woman that I am." A sad smiled graced her lips as she looked down at their conjoined hands. "When I was severly injured in the final battle she saved me again and brought me back here. She gave her life to save me because she believed in me. It was because of her I was able to make it this far..." She bit her lip and cleared her throat to clear the sadness from her voice. "This time changed to accomadate me because I was always meant to be here. I was the one who was meant to be Kurama's jinchuuriki host from the beginning, not Kushina. That was why Mito went missing. I'm not sure what happened to her but her disapearance happened so that I could be Kurama's jinchuuriki this time around. Things are happening the way they were always meant to be."

It took him several moments to process everything that she had just told him. "So you were always meant to be here with us." He smiled at the truth of his own words. She was always here with them even when they couldn't see her. That was why things with Kushina had not worked out. Because he was always meant to be with Sakura. He would've jumped for joy if it had not been for what she still needed to say about Danzo. His smile fell almost as quickly as it had come. "What about Danzo? What happened between you two?" He turned impatient eyes back onto Sakura.

Her lips quivered as she chewed at them nervously. What would Minato do when she told him about Danzo's inadvertant threat? Surely that was how he would take it, after all she had taken it that way. "He knows about my bloodline. And he knows that I am the Nine tails jinchuuriki. He threatened to reveal it to the village, and the Uzumaki clan." She chanced a look at his face and wished she hadn't. Fury was etched onto every part of the blonde's face, and posture. He stood from his chair abruptly and stormed down the hallway. "I knew this would happen!" Sakura whimpered as she quickly followed after the blonde. He was hastily pulling on his shinobi uniform as she appeared in the doorway. "Minato you can't just kill him!" She whispered furiously as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.

"Watch me! He's not going to get away with threatening you Sakura! I won't tolerate it!" Minato harshly yanked his pants on and buttoned them, before moving towards the door. "Move Sakura." His voice shook with his barely restrained rage. She was pressed up against the door in an effort to keep him from leaving.

"No." She said simply and it only served to aggravate the blonde further. He moved forward to move her forcibly from the door by grabbing onto her shoulders to lift her up. Acting quickly she wrapped her legs around his waste, and locked her arms around his neck locking herself to him. "Are you going to go kill Danzo with me tagging along?" She glared back at the heated look he was giving her. On the inside she was panicking. "I never should have said anything! What do I do?!" She cried out in desperation. 'DISTRACT HIM WITH YOUR AWESOME SEDUCTION SKILLS!' Inner shouted furiously. "What the fuck?!" Sakura sputtered back panicked. She didn't have time to question it any further because Minato had begun trying to pry her arms off of him.

"Sakura let mmph-!" He started only to be silenced when she slammed her lips on his. He staggered back at the sheer vigour that she was attacking him with. The back of his knees hit the bed and she took the opportunity to push her weight forward making him fall onto the mattress.

Shakey hands ran up to fumble with the zipper of his flak jacket before she finally succeeded in pulling it down. She went to shrug the vest from his shoulders when his hands came up to lock hers in place. Her eyes shot up to rest on his face that was morphed in a disaproving look. He was resisting her with everything he had, but she could still feel the evidence that she was in fact getting to him. She bit back a moan as she ground her hips into the bulge in his pants. Her hazy eyes took him in as his head lulled back and a soft groan escaped his lips.

"Sakura..." He bit out in a pained voice. His girlfriend was really making it hard on him right now. On one hand he still wanted to go murder Danzo. On the other hand he wanted to stay here and give into her minstrations. It didn't help matters at all that they had not been intimate in over a week due to her weakened state. And as his eyes trailed up to meet the desperate look on Sakura's face, he knew that she was using that to her advantage. He opened his mouth to say something, anything to get her to release him. But her next word broke his resolve completely.

"Please..." She pleaded thought at this point she wasn't sure what she was begging for more. He seemed to war with himself for another moment before he surrendered. With a heated groan he pulled her to him and flipped them over so that he was on top of her. Her clothes were hastily ripped from her body until she was laying bare on the bed. He discarded his own clothes just as quickly before he reached over to his nightstand for a condom.

"You're turning into quite the vixen Sakura." He said as he rolled the condom on. She smirked innocently at him as he came flush against her. Without another word he thrust into her groaning at the tight heat. His mouth sought out the pulse point on the side of her neck as he started thrusting at a fast pace. Her hands came up to tangle into the shaggy mop of his hair as she pushed his head down to her chest. His eyes shot up to rest on her expectant face. Yes she was most definitely turning into a sexual deviant. His lips wrapped around her right nipple as he ran his tongue over it.

Sakura gasped and arched her back in sheer ecstasy at the dual sensations. Fire raced through her body everytime he thrusted back into her. She held his head to her chest as she began thrusting her hips in time with his. It felt so good that it actually bordered on painful. Her hips gyrated faster as she desperately sought out her release. A muffled grunt escaped his lips as her walls started to fluctuate around him. He started to pound more furiously into her as his release crept up his spine. Her lips fell open in a scream as the coil in her stomach gave way and her release wracked her body. "MINATO!" She cried as her orgasm wracked her body.

His pace became erratic as she clenched around him like a vice. His body tensed and he released her breast as he groaned loudly as his orgasm tore through him. He slumped against her smaller frame as they both tried to catch their breath. "You know Sakura... I can't say that I dislike your ways of persuasion." He looked up at the smug look on her face.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself!" She panted out as she ran her fingers through his hair. She was completely blissed out. The things that bothered her only an hour ago seemed so far away from the now that it was almost laughable that she had been so bothered in the first place. She just didn't want to think about anything else but the here and now. Exhaustion crept up on her from the activities of the night, and the loss of sleep from the previous nights. She could do nothing to fight unconsciousness as it slowly claimed her senses. The last thing she saw was Minato's blue eyes before she slipped into the darkness.

Green eyes cracked open to find an empty bed. "Minato?" Sakura questioned as she sat up and shielded herself from the bright sunlight. Soft fabric caressed her skin and she looked down at her body only to discover that she was dressed in a red nightgown that ended below her knees. "When did I..." Green eyes shot up to survey the room she was in. It was larger then the room that she and Minato shared, the closet was slightly ajar and she could see that it was a massive walk in closet. There was a door opposite of the closet that was open revealing a lavish looking bathroom. A massive ebony armoire lined the wall opposite of the doorway to the bedroom. Next to that was a large picture window with a bench in it. The door to the bedroom slammed open and two blurs shot into the room startling her. Green eyes shot over to the door and widened at what they saw. "Naruto...?" She whispered as she took in the mini version of Naruto that couldn't be older than ten. He looked just like she remembered him to be...

"Mom wake up already! Sis and I are hungry!" He yelled impatiently as his arms snaked behind his head in his signature pose.

Sakura's eyes widened even further as her gaze trailed down to rest on the little pink haired girl that was trying to clamber onto the bed with her. The girl's head shot up and she stared at Sakura with wide green eyes that were the exact same as her own.

"Come on mommy!" The girl giggled as she held out a hand for Sakura to take. Without thinking she reached for the girl's hand and as soon as she made contact everything blacked out.

Sakura flew up from the bed in a panic. Her eyes shot around the room and landed on the light that was illuminating the room from the window. "What was that?!" She choked out as she brought a hand up to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The sound of the door opening startled her and her eyes shot up to lock onto Minato's form as he entered the room. He was fully dressed in his shinobi uniform and cloak and she wondered where he had been.

Minato took one look at the pink haired woman and knew that something was wrong with her. "Sakura? What's wrong?" He moved to the side of the bed that Sakura was on and sat next to her. He ran his hand through her hair from the top of her head to her shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"Just a dream..." Sakura whispered uncertainly. She couldn't shake the feeling that it was much more than that... Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts she turned to face him. "Where were you?" She asked suspisiously. When it came down to it she could probably accurately guess where he had been, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"I went to speak to the Hokage about Danzo." He looked her straight in the eyes for any kind of reaction. Her eyes widened in shock. She had half expected him to just go and kill Danzo without consulting the Hokage at all! "And what did he have to say?" She asked nervously.

"He said that he would keep a closer eye on Danzo. As for Mito's disapearance, he wants you to go to the T&I department to have Inochi do an examination of your memories so that there will be solid proof of your innocence. If you do that, the council won't be able to make a move against you. And as for the Uzumaki clan..." He trailed off uncertain if Sakura would like what he had to say next. "He wants to dig into the branches and find out which line you come from so that we can arrange a meeting between you, and any relatives of yours who are still alive."

Sakura felt like a pit had dropped in her stomach. Meet any relatives she had left alive? "And what then?" She asked as she stared at Minato solemnly.

"We hope that everything works out with them." He said somberly. He couldn't imagine how Sakura was feeling right now. But what he could do was be there for her no matter what happened. And that was just what he intended to do.


	17. Chapter 17

Before I start the next chapter I want your guys' opinion on something. I want to know if I should bring in Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko into the story. At some point I feel like I should but I'm not sure. Anyways now that that's out of the way on with the chapter! I DO NOW OWN NARUTO! I don't know if it snows in Konoha, but in this fic it does! Lol! Time skip and big things happening in this chap so be warned!

Sakura groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She had been reading about sealing jutsu all night to no avail. What they needed was simply not in any of these scrolls! With a sigh she plopped down the scroll she had been reading and got up to look out her office window. Tiny flakes of snow fell and pooled around every waiting structure. It was December now and the temperature had dropped considerably. "There's only a year now..." Sakura whispered excitedly to herself. 'Yeah only a year until Naruto is conceived huh?' Inner agreed with her enthusiastically. A soft smile crossed her lips as she turned away from the window and sat back down at her desk. She had been here for almost twelve hours now, and she was sure that any second now Minato would be storming through the door to drag her home forcefully. Ever since the situation with Danzo had happened three months ago he had been crazy overprotective of her. He would pick her up from almost everywhere unless he was away on one of his many missions. She knew that the Hokage needed a ninja like Minato to accomplish what others would deem the impossible but she wished that it would not take him away as often as it did. But he was here with them now, and if the rapidly approaching chakra signature was any indication, he was irritated that she was overworking herself again. She plastered on her best innocent look just before the door to her office was thrust open to reveal an irritated blonde. "What are you doing here Minato?" She asked with false curiosity. His face screwed up in a scowl as he continued to stare at her.

"Sakura do you know what time it is?! We talked about overworking yourself!" He glared impatiently at the pinkette who made no move to get up from her spot. An irritated groan worked its way out of his mouth as he stepped forward to pull the woman from her chair. Ignoring the amused look she was sending him he shoved her winter coat on her and grabbed her hand leading her out the door.

"No need to be so pushy Minato!" Sakura giggled into her hand at the disgruntled look he was giving her. He said nothing as he led her down the streets of Konoha in the direction of the Hokage tower. She sobered up instantly and shot wide eyes over to her boyfriend. "Why are we going to the Hokage tower? Normally no one is called at this hour unless it's an emergency." She stated seriously. Had they found something about her lineage? God knows that they had been looking desperately for any relatives that she may have had alive. It made her nervous, the whole aspect of meeting family that she never knew... She didn't want to have someone trying to take her adoptive parents' places. They were the ones who raised her and she would be damned if she acted ungrateful for it. He didn't answer her as he led her up the steps to the Hokage tower and to the Third's office. Jiraiya, and Tsunade were off to one side of the room. And Sakura could make out a figure with bright red hair. She immediately assumed that it was Kushina and a scowl covered her face. It only took one look from the red haired woman for her to realize that it was in fact not Kushina. This woman was older that much anyone could tell with half a look. But what really caught her attention were her eyes... They were the exact shade of green that Sakura's were. It brought her up completely short! Who was this woman and why was she here?

Hiruzen studied the astonished looking pinkette from her frozen spot by the door. She was staring at Kagami with something akin to horror, and disbelief. He took a puff from his pipe before he addressed the pinkette. "Sakura close the door and come closer so that we may speak." Said woman snapped out of her stupor at the sound of the Hokage's voice and immediately did as he had ordered. She clung onto Minato dragging the blonde forward with her as she came to stand in front of his desk. The blonde didn't put up any sort of fight, he knew that Sakura needed him. "Sakura." He waited until the pinkette had given him her full attention before continuing. "This is Kagami Uzumaki from Uzushiogakure. After digging through various branches of the Uzumaki clan we have narrowed it down to Kagami's branch. Besides herself every member of the branch is dead." His eyes stared solemnly at the red haired woman who had not even flinched as he mentioned her loved ones deaths. No she was too busy staring at the pink haired woman with an unreadably expression. "I will let her explain the rest to you."

Kagami stared at the pink haired woman that looked so different from the tiny baby that was barely in her toddler years that she had last seen. The emotions got to her and in a second she had crossed the small gap between them and pulled the pinkette to her in a warm embrace. "Oh Sakura I thought you had died!" She cried as she pulled back to stare down at Sakura's dumbfounded expression. "Oh that's right! You must be so confused right now!" She laughed as she dried the tears with her kimono sleeve. She straightened herself out before she faced her granddaughter once more with a smile. "I'm your grandmother. My name is Kagami Uzumaki." It took everything in the woman not to hug the girl senseless again. She was known for being erratic when it came to almost anything.

Grandmother? So this woman standing in front of her was actually her blood kin? She hadn't even explained anything to Sakura and already she was sure that this was in fact her grandmother. Something about her just seemed welcoming to her. "So you are my grandma..." She spoke the words slowly to see how they felt on her tongue. She had never had grandparents before so this was new to her. New but welcomed she decided. Something about Kagami made her want to let the woman in. "Grandma Kagami it is then!" She beamed back at the older woman. She would have to be sure to dedicate as much time to the only remaining family member she had. But for now she needed to know what happened to her real parents, and the rest of her family. "What happened to everyone? Why were they attacked?" Her grandmother's demeanor changed to one of anger, and rage.

"They came to the village for you Sakura. They wanted you because of a special ability that you possess." Kagami shook with rage as she recalled how she had found her fallen kin, holding her dying daughter in her arms as she pleaded for her mother to save Sakura. A promise that Kagami had not been able to keep until now.

"Ability? But I don't have any special abilities." Sakura stared at the older woman with a perplexed look. She honestly could not recall ever using any abilities that were the results of anything other than hard work. She didn't have any bloodline traits to her knowledge.

"Those who have it don't usually know about it. Until you learn to control it it's just something that happens when you come into contact with a tailed beast." Once the Akatsuki found out about Sakura they would be after her again! The robed men had already come for her once when she was a helpless baby, and they would most definitely come for her again.

"When we come into contact with a tailed beast? But I have come into contact with Isobu before... Nothing strange happened..." Sakura recalled the battle with the three tails in close detail. She never noticed her body doing anything strange... "Nothing happened with the three tails. We failed in sealing it but..." She stared at Kagami uncertainly. Was there something that she was not telling her?

A sad smiled etched itself onto the older kunoichi's face. "Of course nothing happened Sakura... We sealed your abilities so that no one would find out. We did it to protect you but Akatsuki still found out about you. They came and killed your parents, and the rest of the clan." Guilt welled up inside of her. If only she had been there then perhaps things would have turned out differently!

"What do they want from me?! Just tell me already!" Sakura shouted impatiently. Whatever had the Akatsuki after her was probably the reason as to why Orochimaru was after her as well! She had to know what it was about her that made her a target for every criminal mind in this time period! "Please grandma just tell me already." She pleaded desperately.

Kagami stared at her granddaughter with eyes full of sadness. "They were after the child who can control the tailed beasts. They were after you Sakura." Her revelation shocked everyone present in the room but none more than Sakura herself.

"What?! No one can do that! Well I have seen a boy that could control Isobu but... No one can control all of them without the rinnengan!" Sakura shouted in disbelief. Kagami couldn't be telling her the truth! There was just no way that anyone could have that ability without the rinnengan!

"Of course you don't believe it Sakura. Your abilities were sealed to protect you, so there was no way you could have known about them. But the problem is the fact that Akatsuki does know about them. They will be coming after you in the near future."

Sakura's head dropped and she stared at the ground in shock. The only thing this revelation did was give her even more to worry about! Sure it did explain why Orochimaru was after her, but he wasn't the big problem here. Akatsuki as a whole were more dangerous to her then Orochimaru could ever be. She just thanked her lucky stars that they were a few members short at this point in time. Akatsuki needed to be taken care of soon if they had any hope of restoring the future. "So we go after them!" She looked up at the Hokage with hard eyes. "We go after them and take them out before they can make a move!" No fear showed in her eyes only determination. She would do whatever she had to do to make sure that the people of 'her' past had a better future to live in. Her head shot over to her grandmother who had taken an enraged step forward.

"SAKURA UZUMAKI YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Kagami shrieked her hair floating around her in her rage. This girl was headstrong and reckless! Normally she would be ecstatic that she had grown up to her like her mother, and herself, but this was a serious situation!

"I WILL DO WHAT I WANT IF IT'S WHAT'S BEST FOR KONOHA'S FUTURE! NOTHING YOU CAN SAY WILL STOP ME!" Sakura shouted back just as unrelenting. They had gone from being ecstatic to see each other to being at each other's throats! Normally she would find the situation ironic but now was not the time for jokes.

"THE HELL YOU WILL SAKURA! I LOST YOU ONCE AND I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!"

"THE HELL I WON'T! AND YOU WON'T LOSE ME AGAIN! I'M NOT SOME HELPLESS LITTLE BABY ANYMORE GRANDMA SO HAVE SOME FAITH IN ME!" By this point the two Uzumakis were nose to nose neither of them willing to back down.

Minato sweatdropped as he watched Sakura interact with her grandmother. As he looked to an equally outraged Kagami he didn't have to wonder where Sakura had gotten the temper from... He edged forward to defuse the situation by placing a strong hand on Sakura's shoulder. Said kunoichi whirled on him and pinned him with a look that would have the Reaper himself running in fear.

"WHAT MINATO?! DON'T YOU SEE THAT I'M TRYING TO TALK SOME SENSE INTO MY GRANDMA?!" Sakura bit out at her boyfriend before she spun back on her grandmother. "AKATSUKI HAS TO BE DEALT WITH! I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH ANYTHING THEY THROW AT ME! IF THEY WANT ME THEN I SAY COME AND GET ME BITCHES!"

"YOUNG LADY YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH! WHO TAUGHT YOU TO TALK LIKE A KIRI NINJA? DON'T MAKE ME SLAP SOME MANNERS INTO YOU!" Kagami threatened practically breathing fire.

"WHOA! FIRST YOU TELL ME THAT I CAN'T DEFEND MYSELF! NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT I CAN'T FUCKING SWEAR?! I'M A GROWN WOMAN I CAN DO WHAT I WANT!" Everyone sweatdropped at the turn the argument had taken.

"How did this happen?" Jiraiya whispered to a chuckling Tsunade. A shrug of the shoulders was all he got from her. He turned to his student who was looking on in absolute horror. "Well at least I can find amusement watching my student look so terrified." He chuckled as he leaned back against the wall.

Three was enough! Three emotional women with explosive tempers in one village was too much as it is! What the hell were they going to do with a fourth?! A quick glance around the room told him that he was on his own in diffusing the situation. Everyone else was looking on in total amusement. With a groan he moved forward and wrapped his arms around Sakura's shoulders to calm her down. "Sakura you need to calm yourself down. Do it for me Beautiful." He whispered against the shell of her ear. She shivered, and stilled completely signaling that he had gotten to her. She turned her head towards his to glare at him half heartedly. He took the opportunity to press a chaste kiss to her lips before he pulled back to address her grandmother. Kagami's jaw was hanging to the floor at their display of affection.

"Sakura who is this man?" The redhead turned her attention to her granddaughter's blushing face. Her eyes shot back to the blonde man when he stepped forward to address her.

"My name is Minato Namikaze and I am Sakura's boyfriend." He held out his hand for the woman to shake. She stared at his hand like it was infected with some disease before she grudgingly took it in her own. "It's very nice to meet you Kagami-san." He spoke politely after they had released each other's hands. He resisted the urge to fidget as she scrutinized him from head to toe.

"Boyfriend huh?" Kagami mused out loud as her eyes roamed over the blonde male in front of her. He was tall, lean but built, and had striking features. Most grandmothers would be glad that their granddaughter had snagged such a prize, but she was not like most grandmothers. "You look like a girl." She stated arrogantly as she stared into the blonde's shocked face.

"Minato does not look like a girl!" Sakura huffed in a mixture of anger and embarrassment. 'CHA! THAT OLD BAT JUST INSULTED MINATO-KUN! ATTACK!' Inner shouted in outrage. "Inner we can't just attack our grandma even if she is being a brat! But we can fight fire with fire!" She smirked mischievously as she sauntered forward to stand beside Minato. "I can assure you grandma that Minato is one hundred percent man! We do sleep in the same bed after all so I should know." Minato shifted nervously when the redhead released an indignant squawk.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU SLEEP IN THE SAME BED?! SAKURA DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE SOME KIND OF HARLOT! YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SLEEP IN A MAN'S BED UNTIL AFTER YOU'RE MARRIED! AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GET MARRIED UNTIL YOU'RE FIFTY!" Kagami shrieked and lunged at Minato. Sakura intercepted her and the two began to roll around and tussle on the floor.

Hiruzen sighed at the scene being laid out before him in his office. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have the two Uzumaki relatives in the same village... "Ladies can we please get back to the earlier conversation?" His voice caused the two women to stop fighting albeit reluctantly. "Now about the Akatsuki..." He took a deep inhale from his pipe his eyes locking on Sakura. "For your own safety Sakura, I think it would be best that you only leave the village with Minato, or Jiraiya. The number of missions that you go on will be decreased until we find a way to deal with the Akatsuki." Said woman looked like she wanted to throw a fit about the whole deal but he cut her off. "It's for the best Sakura... We don't need the Akatsuki getting their hands on you. As the Nine tails jinchuuriki you are much to valuable to let anything happen to you."

Kagami bristled and turned to the Hokage. "What do you mean the Nine tails jinchuuriki? Mito was the last jinchuuriki and she disapeared over a decade ago!" Her eyes hardened with anger. If what the Hokage was saying was true then that was another reason for the Akatsuki to be after Sakura. Things were even worse than she had originally thought.

"It's true grandma I am Kurama's jinchuuriki host. I can't tell you how it happened right now. All I can say is that what Hokage-sama says is the truth." The two women locked eyes. Sakura's pleaded for Kagami to understand. And Kagami's demanded answers. But they were answers that Sakura was not yet ready to give her.

Looking at her granddaughter she realized that she would not get the answers that she wanted from her yet. Sakura needed time, and she would give her some. "Fine but I want answers at some point Sakura."

"I will tell you everything when the time comes. That's a promise, and I never break my promises." She turned back to the Hokage determination shining in her eyes. "I will do as you request. My only request is that I am still allowed to go on that mission." And by that she was referring to the bridge mission. She wasn't actually asking, she was telling him that she was going either way regardless of what he said.

"Of course Sakura. Minato will still be a part of that mission so it's within the boundaries of the limitations I have set for you." He smiled at Sakura. She looked so relieved to hear that she would still be able to go along and protect team seven from their uncertain fates. He knew how much it meant to her, so there was no way he could take that away. "For now though we have another matter to discuss, and that is Kagami's living arrangements." Hiruzen caught the nervous look that Minato was shooting him. The blonde was practically pleading for him to have mercy on him. He smiled sympathetically at his prized ninja. "She's requested to stay with Sakura... As long as you two have no objections..." The picture before him was priceless. Kagami beamed happily at Sakura, who smiled back with equal happiness. Then there was Minato who just looked absolutely horrified. The blonde looked like he wanted to go find a rock to hide under for the rest of his life!

Two easily angered women with explosive tempers under one roof?! What was the Hokage thinking?! His whole apartment would be torn to shreds within minutes! He fisted his hands in his hair and tugged on it as he internally panicked. Sakura would probably want him to seeing as how she would want to get to know her grandma! But her grandma would probably bust into their room and castrate him whenever he and Sakura were intimate! He wouldn't even put it past the woman to stand outside the door with a rusty kunai ready to do the job at the first sign! Why were the gods so fickle? He hadn't realized that his eyes were closed until a soft poke on his chest drew him out of his horrifying thoughts. Blue eyes shot down to lock onto Sakura's vibrant green ones. She was pouting at him again! That little vixen knew that he could not resist her when she looked at him like that! His resolve crumbled in a second and he reluctantly nodded his head.

"Oh thank you Minato! You're the best!" Sakura squealed as she pulled the blonde down so that she could kiss his cheek. She spun around and embraced her grandma. Minato's voice brought the women's attention to rest on him.

"There are rules if she is going to stay in my home. One you don't stand outside our bedroom door at night!" He glared at the defiant look the redhead sent back at him. "Two you don't attempt to harm anyone bodily while you're there. And by that I mean me!" Her face fell even further and she scowled at him. "And finally you aren't allowed to touch sharp objects for any reason other than cooking if you choose to cook!" Kagami looked like she wanted to maul him right then and there. "Those are my rules! And yes they are more for my own safety than anyone else's!" He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down. Eventually the woman caved and nodded reluctantly the scowl never leaving her face.

"Well now that that is all settled you are all free to go now." Hiruzen waved his hand to dismiss them. A smirk etched its way onto his lips when he saw Kagami glare at Minato when he wrapped his arm around Sakura on the way out. Yes things were definitely going to get more lively around here...

"No sharp objects?" Sakura questioned in amusement as the moved more of Kagami's things into Sakura's old bedroom.

"Trust me Sakura, it's for my own good, and the good of our future children. If that woman had a sharp object everything could be jeopardized..." He shivered in fear as he stacked the last box onto the pile near the dresser. He stood to his full height when Sakura wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Don't worry Minato-kun! I'll protect you from my crazy granny!" She buried her face into his flak jacket in an attempt to stifle her giggles. 'Poor Minato-kun...' Inner clucked her tongue in sympathy.

He spun around and wrapped his arms around the giggling woman. "Minato-kun huh? If I didn't know any better Sakura, I would say that you were mocking me." He smirked down at her wide eyed look of innocence. Her bottom lip jutted out adorably almost like it was begging for him to kiss her. Just as he leaned down to do just that a frying pan came flying and hit him square in the side of the head knocking him on his butt.

"MINATO!" Sakura shouted worriedly as she got down on her knees beside him. Her hand glowed green and she brought it to his temple where the pan had struck him. Her eyes shot over to the door where she caught her grandma Kagami standing there looking smug. "GRANDMA! You could've seriously hurt him with that pan!" Sakura scolded her just as she finished healing the bump on Minato's head. Her boyfriend was glaring at the red haired woman with as much anger as he could muster in his dazed state.

"Oh dear that was where that frying pan ended up? Sorry Minato-kun I just chucked it into the room without looking first!" She had to fight not to laugh at the man's slumped position on the floor. Served the little shit right for trying to put the moves on her granddaughter! She smirked at the murderous look he was sending her.

"Why the hell would you put a frying pan in your bedroom?" Minato asked irritably as Sakura moved to help him stand. He was starting to think that maybe he should've turned the Uzumaki down in the first place!

"Oh that? My mother gave it to me when I was a girl! I don't actually use it to cook or anything, it's more like a family heirloom!" She smiled innocently at the two people who were gaping at what had to be the lamest excuse in history.

Minato sputtered in disbelief. A fucking heirloom? Who in their right mind had a frying pan as a family heirloom? "You're completely nuts!" He said simply as he moved to hide behind Sakura. Well as much as his much larger frame could hide behind her smaller one.

"Maybe... I'm tired though so would you mind?" She gestured to the door. Her teeth gleamed maliciously as the couple made their way past her. "Good night Sakura." She embraced the pinkette once before she shut the door. "This is just the beginning Minato!" She smiled sadistically to herself. She was a granny on a mission to protect her granddaughter and no one would get in her way. Not even the Namikaze himself.

"Is your head okay?" Sakura glanced at Minato with worry when he slipped into their bed. The pan had to have been thrown with immense strength to knock him down. He slumped back against the pillows and turned to face her.

"It's fine Sakura." He reached out and pulled her to him until they were flush against each other. He just stroked the top of her hair affectionately as he stared down at her. He was too paranoid to even try anything else right now. His mind couldn't stop conjuring up images of Kagami catching them and castrating him. With a groan he flopped back onto his back and stared at the ceiling. What had he gotten himself into? He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that Sakura had moved until she was staring down at him her legs on either side of his hips. "Sakura I'd rather have my masculinity intact for at least a few more days..." He groaned and moved to lift her off of him.

Sakura locked her legs around him using chakra to strengthen her hold. He glared at her but she could tell that his heart wasn't in it. "Minato my grandma is not going to dictate what I do with my boyfriend! If I want to be intimate with you then I will! She doesn't have to like it! But it doesn't change the fact that she has no say in the matter!" She reached down to grasp his shoulders with firm hands. "Now are you going to let her boss you around? Or are you going to be a man and show me how much you love me?!" She stared down at him heatedly until he finally relented.

"Sakura you really are something aren't you?" He groaned as he gave into his desires. It was going to be a long few days and he was definitely going to be needing a lot of attention from Sakura.

The smell of something cooking reached his nose and he wiggled it in an attempt to escape from the smell. It was no use though, so with a groan he sat up in bed and after making sure that Sakura's naked form was still covered he got himself dressed for the day. A glance at the clock told him that it was seven o'clock so Rin was probably still asleep. That meant that Kagami was most likely responsible for the smell of food wafting under the door. He cast one last soft gaze onto the still sleeping pinkette before he exited his room and headed toward the kitchen. He froze as soon as he stepped foot into the kitchen. There was Kagami cooking bacon in the very same pan that she had struck him with. Family heirloom his ass! The woman turned around to face him and their eyes locked in a heated stare. "I knew it! Family heirloom my ass!" Minato pointed an accusing finger at her. The redhead simply straightened herself and moved several steps closer to him the scowl returning to her face.

"I heard you seducing my granddaughter last night you monster! I'll warn you one more time to keep your hands off of her! Next time I won't be so nice about it!" She made a snipping gesture with her hands. Her face twisted into a sadistic smirk as he cowered back slightly from her.

What did he get himself into? Why did he keep asking himself that when he already knew the answer?! He pushed aside his fear and glared at the woman. "I wasn't seducing Sakura! It was the other way around! And this is my home so I can do whatever I want!" Their eyes stayed locked and spoke one thing to each other.

Let the battle begin...

How do you guys like Sakura's grandma? I like writing her character a lot actually! Let me know what you guys think!


	18. Chapter 18

Alright here is the next chapter for you guys! Before I start though I want to point something out about the timeline in this story. Certain things are happening a lot sooner because Sakura was sent back into the past. It morphed the entire timeline back to the way it would have been if she had always been there. Well now that that is out of the way on with the chapter! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

* * *

The tension at the breakfast table could be cut with a knife, and as Sakura stared between her grandma and Minato she wasn't sure who would snap first... She had found them at each other's throats in the kitchen this morning though she had no idea why. Grandma Kagami looked like she would jump over the table at any second and rip Minato's throat out! And Minato... He was looking back at her with a mixture of anger and defiance. A sense of dread hung over her, and casting a quick glance at Rin she could tell that the girl felt it too. If she had known that it would turn out like this she would have had her grandma stay somewhere else even if neither of them liked it. "Minato?" She called out hoping to drag his attention to somewhere besides her grandma. He made no move to turn and face her, no he kept glaring at her grandma.

"Yes Sakura?" Minato answered the pinkette without lifting his gaze from the cunning redhead across from him. As soon as he did waver and look away she would stab him in the throat with her chopsticks. After she sharpened the tips of course! It was times like this that he wished he was not always such a nice guy! Because look where it had gotten him this time! This old lady would be the death of him he was sure of it!

Sakura deflated instantly when he refused to look at her. It kind of hurt in a way. Like he refused to really acknowledge her because he was too busy. Of course she knew it wasn't that at all! Her grandmother's presence unsettled the blonde for obvious reasons, and he was too preoccupied keeping certain parts of his anatomy safe right now. "Never mind..." She whispered stuffing the last bit of food into her mouth and swallowing it. She spared one more glance at the situation in front of her before gathering Rin, and her plates to take to the sink. 'Do they really hate each other that much?' Inner snickered mischievously. "I guess so..." Sakura answered as she cast a look over her shoulder at the two. She shook her head and turned to face Rin who was still watching the scene with uncertainly and amusement. "Come on Rin we have team training today."

"But what about Minato Sensei?" Rin looked at the blonde haired male nervously. He hadn't even flinched when she had said his name. It was like he had never even heard anything that she or Sakura had said... She was worried that having Kagami here was not a good thing at all... Maybe it would have been better for her to find somewhere else to stay. It made her sad to think that way because she was Sakura's long lost grandma, but she had to learn to respect Sensei and his rules! She was so deep in her thoughts that she jumped in surprise when Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sakura grimaced and eyed the two adults glaring at each other distastefully. Maybe it would be better not to leave the two alone together? "Minato are you going to train your team today or not?" She called out in irritation. The man turned his attention to her for the first time that morning.

Minato turned his attention away from Kagami when he sensed the irritation in Sakura's tone. She, and Rin were standing there waiting for him rather impatiently on Sakura's part. "Oh was it time to go already?" He asked in surprise. Had he really wasted that much time glaring at Kagami? Not wanting to waste anymore time he quickly got up and deposited his dishes into the sink before joining his girlfriend, and student at the door. Sakura beamed at him before she glanced around him to look at her grandma.

"We have team training today so we won't be back until later! There's books to read in the living room, and you can help yourself to whatever is in the fridge if you're hungry!" Sakura smiled in relief at getting the two separated for a few hours. One day in and she was already tired of the two of them being at each other's throats.

"I may go out and take a walk around the village at some point as well. So if you come back and I'm not here don't be worried!" Kagami waved to Sakura as the group left the apartment. As soon as the door shut she sprung up from her seat and ran down the hall to her room. She went straight to her dresser and opened the top drawer and took out small pouch of powder that she had made for special occasions. She walked back out the door and down the hall to Minato, and Sakura's room. She walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of dark blue boxer shorts. Undoing the flaps to the pouch she sprinkled a decent amount of the powder into the crotch region of the boxers. Kagami cackled to herself as she beat the boxers on the dresser to get rid of any excess powder. "See if you wanna get some after this you little pervert!"

* * *

Minato watched his two male students spar with each other across the field. Sakura had taken Rin to the river to practice sparring on top of the water to better the girl's concentration. So that left him to stand there by himself and watch the two boys spit insults at each other with every punch or kick. Normally it would amuse him to watch the two but... He couldn't help but shudder in fear at what Kagami could possibly be doing in his apartment by herself. He wouldn't put it past the old lady to set up spring traps to shoot kunai at him or something! "Probably with explosive tags to boot..." He muttered under his breath. There had to be a way to get through to the old lady! If he was being honest he had no idea why she hated him so much in the first place! He was so distracted that he was startled when arms wrapped around him from behind. Quickly shaking away his thoughts he turned to face the smirking pinkette. "What is with you and sneaking up on me lately?" He chuckled down at Sakura's pouting face.

"Don't tell me that you are losing your touch Minato!" Sakura giggled at the playful glare he sent her. She knew that he was having a difficult time adjusting to having her grandmother around, so she wanted to make sure he was relaxed when he was away from her.

"Never Sakura! I am Konoha's Yellow Flash after all." He smirked and pulled her closer to him. "How did Rin do today?" He asked changing the subject. He had noticed the brunette sitting a ways across the field watching the boys sparring. She looked absolutely soaked to the bone.

Sakura glanced at Rin's sullen form from her position propped against the tree. "She still has difficulty maintaining the proper amount of chakra to stand on the water while fighting. I'm sure that she will get it after a while thought." Sakura turned away from the girl to face the two boys who were still sparring. "What about Obito, and Kakashi?" She turned back to look at Minato.

Minato chuckled and shook his head. "It's Obito, and Kakashi that should say more than enough." He glanced over his shoulder in time to see Obito flip Kakashi off before shooting a fireball at him. Sakura pulled away and moved to stand beside him to better get a better view of the spar.

"Yes I suppose that is true enough! Actually I'm surprised that Obito isn't screaming insults at Kakashi about his hair or something yet..." Sakura sweatdropped when not even a second after she said that Obito's enraged voice rang out across the field.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY?! THE ONLY THING THAT SUCKS HERE IS YOUR HAIRCUT!" Obito shouted furiously as he charged forward and began throwing punches and kicks at Kakashi.

"My haircut?! The only thing that really sucks here is your ninja skills!" Kakashi bit back as he blocked and dodged Obito's attacks as best he could. His emotions seemed to be getting the better of him lately and he wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"MY NINJA SKILLS ARE AWESOME KAKASHI! YOU'RE JUST JEALOUS THAT MY HAIR LOOKS BETTER THEN YOURS, AND THAT I'M GOING TO WIN RIN'S HEART!" Obito shouted and fired off another fireball at Kakashi.

Sakura glanced over at Rin to see how she reacted to Obito's slip up, and she was pleasantly surprised to see a faint blush on the young girl's cheeks. Maybe she was feeling more for Obito then she was aware of... 'Or she could just be stupid enough to believe that Kakashi is fighting for the same reason that Obito is!' Inner remarked sarcastically. Sakura instantly deflated at Inner's comment. Yes that was most likely what it was... She really needed to have a girl talk with Rin at some point. From the corner of her eye she noticed Minato step forward to call an end to the spar.

"Alright you two that's enough for today!" He called getting their attention. The two of them glared at each other heatedly before making their way back over to their Sensei. He stared down at his two male students with amusement. He knew that Kakashi did not have feelings for Rin so it was amusing to see Obito fight with him about her. But maybe he should clue the Uchiha in on that one day... It certainly would save them all many headaches down the line. "Alright let's call it a day! We will meet back up at the same time tomorrow." He turned back to Sakura as their students gathered their things and left the training field. "You up for lunch?" He asked already knowing the answer.

* * *

After some convincing Sakura had managed to get Minato to agree to going to an actual restaurant instead of Ichiraku. He was pouting the whole way to the new cafe that had opened up near Yamanaka's flower shop. She always used to go there with Ino before the war so she was ecstatic that it had finally opened for business! It was nostalgic really... It used to be their special place in the future... And now here she was going to the very place before Ino was even born. It was moments like this when she remembered what her life was like that really caused her the most heartache.

Minato stared at the side of Sakura's face while she stared out the window. There was pain in her eyes, and he wondered what had caused it. She always held things about her life so close to her heart that he could never really figure her out. At least when it came to things like this. He reached out a hand and enveloped her smaller one with it bringing her attention to him. "What are you thinking?" He murmured while he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. She hesitated for a moment but he squeezed her hand in reassurance for her to continue.

"I was thinking about how my friend, and I used to come here before the war." A lump formed in her throat and she had to swallow it before she could continue. "Her name was Ino Yamanaka and she was the first friend I ever made. I remember the day she first talked to me... The other kids had been bullying me because of my hair, and forehead and it made me cry." She smiled fondly at the memory of how Ino had taken notice of the good things about her that even Sakura had not acknowledged. "She came up to me and she told me that I shouldn't hide because it just made people want to pick on me even more. It was funny because she took one look at my face, forehead and all and said that even though my forehead was pretty big I still had a nice face. No one ever said anything like that to me before... I was just the weird girl with pink hair and a big forehead. But Ino was always different... She asked me to come back the next day so that she could give me something, and when I did she gave me a red ribbon to hold my hair back." She ran a hand over the red fabric of her forehead protector. "After that we were practically inseparable. She was always helping me whenever I needed it. It's thanks to Ino that I broke out of my shell and became a more outspoken woman instead of a weak crybaby." Tears welled up in her eyes and she fought to keep them back.

She wasn't looking at him anymore he could tell. No she was looking back into her past. Her eyes had taken on a faraway look and it was like she was staring through him. He couldn't imagine what the pain she was always dealing with was like. She always tried so hard to keep a smile on her face so that no one would worry about her. But she couldn't hide it from him, he always noticed the way she would stare off into space with a heartbroken expression. It wasn't often that it happened but when it did happen his heart broke for Sakura. Her lips moved and he had to strain his hearing to be able to make out what she had said.

"You aren't a flower at all Sakura. You're just a bud that hasn't bloomed yet..." She whispered under her breath as she recalled the day Ino had stood up for her against Ami and her friends. Those words had inspired her to be what she was today. That day she had decided that she would no longer be the shy scared girl. It was that day that she had decided to strive to be Ino's equal. It was because of her that Sakura had made it far enough to be put on team seven. Without her she would never have been friends with Naruto because she would have always remained that shy girl that couldn't do anything for herself. "Ino told me that when we were little. Those words inspired me to break out of my shell and be who I wanted to be. I would not have made it without them." She smiled and sent a thankful prayer to the gods for letting her be a part of Ino's life at all.

As he stared at Sakura he wondered if there had ever been one person who had lost so much in their life and could still move forward. Everything had been taken from her from the beginning yet she still strived to make the world better at all costs. She never complained about the hand she had been dealt. She never wished she could just go back to the future and live happily with her friends. No she just made the best of it and moved towards her goals, doing her best to not let her pain get the best of her. He wondered if Ino had seen that resolve somewhere deep inside of Sakura that day that they had met. "She saw you for what you were on the inside Sakura. This determination, and resolve that you have was probably always there inside, you just didn't realize it until you met Ino. She inspired you to be what you really were." His eyes locked onto her own shocked ones and he could tell that she had never thought about it that way. She stared at him while her mouth opened and closed, before finally shaking her head at him.

"Leave it to you to make me think about it differently." She smiled ruefully at the smirking blonde. He always knew what to say to make her feel better, even when she didn't want to. Naruto was lucky that he would have a father like Minato in his life. The thought of her future son had her thoughts plummeting to less pleasant thoughts. Her grandmother's revelation that the Akatsuki being active two decades ago was troubling for her seeing as how they should have been formed around this point in time. Yahiko had formed Akatsuki in her timeline in an effort to fight against the tyranny, and oppression the faced Amegakure during the war. But that was obviously not the case this time around. Akatsuki had been formed before the three Ame ninja had even been born... She was willing to bet that Madara had formed it to ensure that things went the way he needed them to for his resurrection. Things were moving so fast that she could barely wrap her head around everything. Could she not just reminisce about happy memories for even a moment without something bad conjuring itself up in her mind? A quiet groan escaped her lips as she buried her head in her arms.

Her behavior startled Minato because she had been happy just a moment ago, and in less then a second she was had done a complete one hundred and eighty degree flip mood wise. Was she thinking about what had been bothering her since yesterday? "Sakura? What's wrong?" He gently tugged on her hand making her sit up and face him.

Emotions were racing through her and she tried to gather her thoughts. Nothing seemed to be an absolute certainty in this time. What did this mean for her plans? What was Akatsuki's main goal in this world? Her bright green eyes trailed up to lock on Minato's ocean blue and she uttered one word that made him freeze. "Akatsuki." Her voice was solemn and strained. A big part of her plans had been shifted and changed and she didn't know how to deal with them at this point. Madara's goal would undoubtedly be world domination. And for that he would need to ensure his ressurection which she knew tied into his rescuing Obito. Without Obito to help him and do his bidding he would not be resurrected as easily this time around. That did not mean that it was impossible! With Orochimaru's resurrection jutsu Madara could be revived at some point in the future, but she knew that the technique had not been perfected yet. Could he be planning to use Pein as a different means of ressurecing himself? She knew that at this point in time Madara had already implanted his eyes into Nagato. She also knew that Nagato had most likely already awakened the rinnengan even if he did not have the ability to use it to its fullest capabilities. Had he met Jiraiya yet...? Her eyes shot open impossible wide and she abruptly shot up from the table. "Where is Jiraiya?! I need to speak with him about something important right away!" Sakura hurriedly spit out at her boyfriend's surprised face.

"I placed a seal on him so we can teleport to him." He stood and took a hold of the pinkette before activating his Thunder God technique. In the blink of an eye they were standing behind Jiraiya who was peeping into the women's bathhouse. "Hey Sensei Sakura needs to talk to you!" His voice startled the older man causing him to whirl on the couple.

"Minato what have I told you about interrupting me while I'm conducting research?!" Jiraiya glared at his smug looking blonde student before he turned to face Sakura. "What did you need to talk to me about Sakura?" He smiled lecherously at the pinkette who raised a fist in a threatening manner. He held up his hands in surrender before she deemed it necessary to beat the ever loving crap out of him.

Sakura huffed and lowered her hand back to her side as she squelched her anger. "I need to ask you about Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko." His onyx eyes widened in surprise but he gestured for her to continue. "Do you have any idea where we can find them?" The Sannin looked at her suspiciously while he contemplated his answer.

"I can't say that I know where they are currently Sakura. I haven't actually seen any of them in years. Why?" Her face fell and he knew that his answer had not been what she wanted.

"I think that the three of them may be in danger of being targeted for recruitment by Akatsuki." A sympathetic look crossed her face when she noticed the angry look on the Sannin's face. He really did care about the Ame orphans more than anyone had originally thought.

"Yes I was actually wondering about that myself... From what you told us about the timeline that you grew up in, Yahiko was the one who founded Akatsuki. But that isn't the case now because Akatsuki was founded over two decades ago. None of them would have even been old enough or skilled enough to decimate a clan like the Uzumaki clan without taking any casualties. They were just children at that time. So who founded Akatsuki in this time?" Minato voiced the thoughts that were concerning him the most. Sakura looked over at him her eyes were a mixture of reluctant acceptance. She didn't want to accept the truth but she had no choice and that scared him.

"I'm certain that it was most likely Madara who was responsible for forming Akatsuki, and decimating my branch of the Uzumaki clan." Both men's eyes bugged out of their sockets almost comically. They were probably under the impression that he would not be as active at this point in time. "I know it sounds crazy but do you really think that anyone else could be responsible? Madara may be weakened at this point in time but if he did establish Akatsuki, then he really doesn't need to do any of the work himself. He can just sit back and watch it all unfold." She gritted her teeth in anger. If they didn't find Jiraiya's students then it would be that much more difficult to deal with Akatsuki in the future. "We need to find them before Madara gets his hands on them..." She eyed the Toad Sannin as he digested everything she had just told him. Even if he was a class A pervert he was still one of Konoha's best and he would do what needed to be done to ensure Konoha's safety.

Jiraiya straightened from his slouched position and faced Sakura with an unreadable expression. "I will look into it and see if I can find them. As soon as I discover something I will let you know." He nodded at the two before he body flickered out of the area. He really was getting too old for this...

That was as good as she would get at this point and she would have to be okay with it. She would have to put her faith in Jiraiya he would not let them down. She just hoped that he would find them before Madara did...

* * *

Minato eyed Sakura's sullen form as they made the trek back home. Something was bothering her, but she didn't seem ready to talk about it yet. He just wished she would trust him enough to tell him everything. As they neared his apartment building he noticed Kagami standing in front of it talking to Kushina of all people. He shifted closer to Sakura so that he would be ready to act at a moments notice if the two kunoichi became violent with each other. The two were facing them now Kagami with a glare in his direction, and Kushina with an equally heated glare towards Sakura. As soon as his eyes met her violet ones she plastered a much too welcoming smile on her face for him. It almost made him want to vomit... "Kagami-san, Kushina." He greeted the two as politely as he could. Still he couldn't help but wonder what Kushina was doing here. Did she and Kagami have some type of relationship? He jumped slightly when he heard Sakura release an animalistic growl in Kushina's direction. Well he had really hoped to avoid this but when did things ever go his way.

'WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BITCH DOING HERE?! DON'T TELL ME SHE WANTS ANOTHER ASS WHOOPING!' Inner hollered in absolute rage. "Just breathe Sakura... Be calm and rational about the whole thing... Don't listen to Inner..." Sakua chanted like a mantra in her head. This day had not been the best and she really did not want to have a go at Kushina right now... 'LIES!' Inner denied her claim vehemently. Ok so she really did want to smash that pretty perfect face into dust but was that really what was best for her?

"Minato how are you?" Kushina purred while she latched onto the blonde's arm. She barely even spared Sakura a glance so she didn't see the vein popping on her forehead, or the way her fists tightened dangerously. Instead she stared up at Minato while she ran a hand over his chest affectionately. "When are you going to get over this pink haired thing and come back to me?" She whispered low enough that Kagami did not hear her. She did not want her kinsman to become enraged at her. Apparently it wasn't low enough for Sakura not to hear because the next thing she knew she was sprawled out on her back with an enraged pink haired woman on top of her.

"YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN YOU WHORE?! AT LEAST I DON'T CHEAT ON MY BOYFRIEND! CHA!" Sakura shrieked in rage and began pummeling the redhead's face. 'CHA! TEACH HER WHO SHE'S MESSING WITH!' Inner fist pumped while she mimicked Sakura's blows.

"SAKURA UZUMAKI WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING?!" Kagami screamed while her granddaughter beat her best friend's granddaughter to a pulp. She dashed forward to pull Sakura off of Kushina before she managed to do serious damage. The pinkette continued to struggle in her arms until Kagami had had enough. She spun Sakura to face her and slapped her harshly across the face, immediately stilling the girl.

Her face stung terribly from the force her grandmother had slapped her with. 'CHA! DID SHE REALLY JUST TAKE THE BITCH'S SIDE?!' Inner spat out furiously. Sakura felt anger hot and unrelenting fill her until her face was contorted in the most murderous look any of them had ever seen. She pointed a finger sharply in Kushina's direction. "You want to take her side is that it?" Her voice was not loud or thundering like it normally would be when she was angry. It was surprisingly quiet like the calm before the storm.

"What are you talking about Sakura?! I just don't want you to beat up Kushina because she's family!" Kagami stared at her granddaughter incredulously. Why had Sakura taken what had happened so negatively?

That was all she could take and she snapped. "SHE IS NOT FAMILY TO ME! SHE'S NOTHING! SHE'S NEVER EVEN BEEN FRIENDLY TOWARDS ME AT ALL! ALL SHE DOES IS PUT ME DOWN AND TRY TO TAKE WHAT IS MINE! YEAH THAT'S RIGHT!" She whirled on Kushina's shocked face. "MINATO IS MINE SO STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM! YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE AND YOU WHORED AROUND BEHIND HIS BACK! COME NEAR HIM AGAIN AND I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOU! AND YOU!" She whirled back around and pointed an accusing finger at her grandmother. "YOU'VE BEEN IN MY LIFE FOR ONE DAY AND ALREADY YOU'RE FUCKING THIS UP! DECIDE WHERE YOU FUCKING STAND AND THEN COME BACK WHEN YOU'RE READY TO REALLY STAND BY ME! BECAUSE UNTIL THEN I HAVE TOO MUCH TO WORK TOWARDS AND I DON'T NEED YOUR HALF ASSED LOVE!" She didn't even take another look at anyone before she stormed into the apartment building leaving three stunned people in her wake.

Minato watched her go with an unreadable expression on his face. He could not blame Sakura for how she had acted towards Kushina, and Kagami. She had so much on her plate that he honestly was surprised that she had not snapped at someone sooner. He just wished that it had not been her grandmother... It was obvious to him that Sakura wanted her grandmother in her life as much as Kagami wanted to be there for her. But he also knew that once Sakura lost her temper like this it was hard for her to face the people she had hurt. And sparing one look at Kagami he knew that Sakura had hurt the woman deeply. The woman hadn't even been with them one day and already everything was going to hell... "Kagami-san I will go talk to Sakura about what happened here. Maybe you should go out and find something to do while she calms down." He turned to look at her and she was looking at him in disbelief.

"You would do something like that after I was so horrible to you?" Maybe the young man who had won her Sakura's heart wasn't so bad after all... That didn't mean that she was going to just accept him whole heartedly, but maybe she could be more civil to him... She would still terrorize him though if only to entertain herself...

"Of course I would! I know how Sakura feels about having you in her life even if she hadn't said anything about it. She wants you around she really does. It's just that she is going through a very difficult time in her life and she's having difficulty coping with everything." If only the woman in front of him truly knew what Sakura was going through she would probably break down with guilt. Sakura wouldn't want that so he wouldn't tell Kagami anymore than that. "I'll talk to her so just come back later okay?" He smiled reassuringly at the old woman before he entered the apartment building.

* * *

Opening the door to the apartment he was met with Rin's worried face. "Sensei Sakura shishou came storming in here a few minutes ago. Did something bad happen?" The young medic shot worried eyes down the hallway where crying could be heard from. She looked back to her Sensei after a moment when he closed the door after him.

"She got into a fight with Kagami so she is just really upset right now..." He smiled at the look of concern that crossed Rin's face. His students really did care for Sakura deeply... "I'm going to go talk to her so why don't you go out for a bit?" She bit her lip reluctantly before she walked past him to put her sandles on.

"Tell her to feel better soon okay?" Rin looked over her shoulder to see her Sensei nod at her. She smiled in spite of herself. Sakura Shishou had Minato Sensei so she would be just fine. "I'm going to go visit Obito I guess... I'll be back before it gets dark." With that she was out the door. Hopefully everything would all work out...

Minato made his way down the hallway and into his bedroom. Sakura was nowhere in sight but he could hear her crying from inside the bathroom. He made his way to the door and attempted to open it but she had locked it. So he brought his hand up and knocked on the door loud enough for her to hear over her sobs. "Sakura open the door!" He called out when her sobs had momentarily died down.

"No! Go away Minato!" Sakura yelled back from her slumped position next to the tub. Why couldn't anyone just let her be miserable in peace? She deserved it after what she had said to her grandma! Even if she was not remorseful for beating Kushina bloody, she did regret hurting grandma the way she had. She really was the worst...

Minato sighed in irritation and let his forehead drop against the door. Why did she have to make things so difficult for him? He guessed that he would just have to replace the door later... So stepping back he kicked out at the door and it splintered in half. He could see her as he moved through the wreckage that used to be his bathroom door. She was staring at him incredulously while he waltzed into the room like he hadn't just destroyed the door to get to her.

"What did you do that for?!" Sakura sputtered indignantly when he crouched down in front of her.

"I needed to get to you and you wouldn't open the door for me." He said simply while he watched her intently. Tears were still falling from her eyes while she watched him and he hated the sight. He reached his hand out with and wiped her tears away as best he could. "You can only take so much Sakura... I think you have been walking around filled to the brim with anger, and sadness so it was only a matter of time before some of it leaked out." He cupped her cheek with his hand smiling when she leaned into it.

"But I was so cruel to her... I said that I didn't want her Minato! What if she never forgives me?!" She tried desperately to stop the sob from escaping her lips to no avail. Another tumbled out and then another and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably. "Why does everyone always leave me?" She leaned forward and buried her head into Minato's shoulder for comfort. Everything that was good in her life was always taken away and she was convinced that it was only a matter of time before that proved to be true for this time as well. Warm arms wrapped around her and held her to a warm chest. "First my parents, then my team, and then the whole village! Why do I always end up alone? How long will it be before the people in this time leave me behind too?!" She was jerked back so that she was facing Minato's face.

"Never Sakura! None of us will ever leave you behind so don't you even think it!" His heart clenched and his voice shook as he stared down into Sakura's bright green eyes. Why had the gods been so cruel to place a burden this big on her? After losing everything that she had held close to her heart she had been thrust back into this time to fix it in a second. It was unbearably cruel in his opinion though he was beyond happy to have her. He just wished she could be happy with him without suffering so much everyday. He did not want her to suffer the fear of having him leave her because it would never happen. And if that was the only thing that was certain for her in this time then so be it! There was no way he would ever change his mind about her! Sakura was the one for him and he knew it with more certainty then he had ever known anything in his life.

They would never leave her behind? He would never leave her behind like everyone else had? Why did she instantly believe him when he said that? "Do you promise?" She looked up at him with her bright green eyes calling to him.

"I swear on my life Sakura." He had no sooner gotten the words out when she had thrown herself at him knocking him to the floor. She had started sobbing again but he could tell that they were happy tears instead of sad ones.

"You stupid jerk! Why do you have to make me love you so much?!" Sakura smiled down at Minato while he just smirked back at her.

"I'm just that good!" Minato smirked arrogantly at the blush that lit up Sakura's face when he said that. She frowned disapprovingly at him making him laugh.

"If I wasn't so worried about my grandma I would beat you for being so cocky!" Sakura huffed while she dried her tears on her sleeve. "Do you think she will forgive me for what I said?" She asked uncertainly dropping her arms to hang at her sides.

"I don't think anyone could stay mad at you Sakura..." Minato sat up and moved to stand while bringing the kunoichi with him. The sound of the door opening from the living room caught both of their attention and before he could speak Sakura had bolted out the door. "God I love that woman." He chuckled as he followed her out the door and into the living room. He found both women embracing each other and bawling their eyes out into each other's shoulders.

"OH SAKURA I'M SO SORRY FOR BEING SO HARD ON YOU!" Kagami sobbed into Sakura's shoulder.

"NO I WAS WAY MORE HARSH THEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN GRANDMA! I DESERVED EVERYTHING THAT YOU DID! I'M SO SORRY!"

"NO I'M MORE SORRY SAKURA!"

"NO GRANDMA I AM!"

"NO SAKURA YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SORRY I REALLY AM! I SHOULD'VE TAKEN YOUR SIDE OVER KUSHINA!"

"I SHOULDN'T HAVE OVERREACTED WITH YOU SO I AM MORE SORRY!"

Minato just sweatdropped while the two women argued about who was more sorry then the other one. Maybe this was a good time for him to get a change of clothes and leave them to it... That thought in mind he slinked down the hall to his room to get dressed into a clean pair of boxers. Opening his drawer he pulled out his favorite pair of dark blue boxers and slipped them onto his hips while he discarded his other clothes into the hamper. Almost instantly he could feel a burning sensation coming from his nether region. "What the?!" In a second it had intensified to the point that it felt like his nether region had been lit on fire and a pained yelp escaped his lips.

Both women turned in the direction that Minato had gone in at the sound of his cry of pain. Sakura turned to her grandmother slowly and fixed her with a heated glare. "Grandma..." She started dangerously. Her grandmother shifted nervously and glanced down the hallway looking almost smug.

"Is it too late to apologize for that?" She trailed off nervously.

Sakura sighed deeply. What was she going to do with these people?


	19. Chapter 19

Ok so here is the next chapter for you guys but before I start I want to address something about my lemon writing. Someone reviewed and said that they need serious work and I'm not sure if they want more detail exactly. I just don't really write descriptive lemons because I'm too embarrassed too... But I decided I'm going to give it a whirl in this chapter for oyu guys so let me know how you like it! It's not going to be long so sorry that I won't write a chapter long one that's just too much for me! Anyways on with the chapter! I do not own Naruto! LOTS OF FLUFF DRAMA AND HUMOR IN THIS CHAP SO BE PREPARED!

* * *

Sakura grimaced at the pained grunt that left Minato's lips when she brought her glowing green hands up to heal the damage done to his nether region. Honestly! She could not believe that her grandma had gone so far as to burn his genitals to prevent them from having sex! And then the moment it happens she murmurs some excuse about having business to deal with for a few hours and runs out! "I'm sorry about what grandma did Minato... If it makes you feel any better she said she was sorry before she ran away..." Sakura looked down into his ocean blue eyes that were staring at her intently.

"A day in Sakura and she's already caused damage to my male region! I don't know what is up with that lady but it's gotta stop!" He spat out angrily. This was too much! She had actually gone into his underwear drawer and sprinkled burning powder into his boxers! Who does that? At least he had Sakura to see to the rash and make sure that it was all healed up. It was already mostly healed up and he wasn't feeling any pain from it anymore.

The last bit of inflamed skin was soothed and then disappeared entirely under her healing hands. She removed them and sat back to look at the blonde expectantly. "Better?" She murmured quietly.

"Much better. Thank you Sakura." Minato grunted as he went to pull up his boxers only for Sakura to stop him. He looked up at her curious as to what she was going to do. He raised a brow at her when she leaned forward and took him in both of her hands. "Where did this come from? Not that I'm complaining or anything." He grunted when she started pumping her hands up and down at a fast pace. She worked him making sure to squeeze hard on the way down, and swirl her finger over the head when she went up. He was content to just lay back and watch her work. Her long hair draped over her shoulder, her bright green eyes open wide, brows furrowed with concentration, and a small pout jutting out on her lips. She'd smile at him every time his body would jump when her hands twisted or squeezed just right, and it made it that much better. After several more moments of working him with her hands Sakura had abruptly stopped much to his dismay, but she was looking down at him, more specifically a certain part of him. His throat tightened and dried out when she licked her lips and leaned down so that her mouth was resting directly over him. Ok this was definitely territory that he knew Sakura had not been exposed to! He wanted to tell her that she didn't have to do this for him but her tongue had snaked out and wrapped itself over his head, and all he could do was flop back against the bed. His eyes locked back on her green ones that were staring up at him mischievously.

"Can I?" She asked while her tongue flicked out to taste the head again. A pained grunt escaped from Minato while he bucked his hips to be closer to the sensation. Taking that as a go ahead she opened her mouth and enveloped as much of her length as she could fit. This was uncharted territory for her so she bobbed her head up and down a few times experimentally, she noted the way Minato grunted and thrusted his hips to get more. She started bobbing her head more rapidly while she tried to recall what Ino had once told her about blowjobs. The blonde girl had told her that boys liked it when your wrapped your tongue around the head and hummed deep from the back of your throat so she figured she'd give it a try. On the next ascent up his length she wrapped her tongue around the head and ran it up and down his shaft while she hummed deep from the back of her throat. She knew immediately that Ino had been right because as soon as she had done those two things simultaneously he had bucked his hips viciously into her mouth while his hands fisted in her hair. He guided her head with his hands everytime she descended back down and she made sure to alternate between rapidly flicking at him with her tongue, and wrapping it around and massaging the head while she continued humming. There was still a large part that was not in her mouth so she took that part in both hands and pumped him while continuing her ministrations with her mouth. Her eyes came up to watch him forcing him to let go of her head while she stared at him. Spiky blonde hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, his eyes were clouded over, mouth was dropped open moans filtering out. He looked absolutely god like sitting there like that! She turned her attention back to her current task when she felt him swell up in her mouth a second before he released grunting as he did so. Sakura gagged at the sticky fluid that tasted like concentrated salt and something else not too nice... She swallowed it nonetheless and pulled away when she was sure he was finished. "Was that good?" She whispered while wiping the evidence from her lips.

"Was that good? Sakura that was the best!" Minato panted out trying to catch his breath. If that was her first time doing that he was in for a real treat when she gained some more experience. Ocean blue eyes snapped up at the quiet giggle that escaped from his girlfriend's lips. She was smirking down at him while she moved to straddle his hips, while she retrieved a condom from his nightstand. He twitched and hardened almost instantly making the smirk on her face grow even more when she felt the evidence prod at her stomach. She tore open the little foil package and slid the latex down his shaft until he was enveloped in it completely. He was ready to flip her over onto her back and do his part but she stopped him by placing her hand on his chest to hold him down.

"No Minato it's my turn to be in control today! So you just sit there and take it like the sex deprived man you are!" Sakura waggled her finger down at the pouting blonde. She lowered herself onto his length hissing at the almost unpleasant stretching sensation as she was stretched to accommodate him. Once he was in to the hilt she gyrated her hips experimentally moaning at the hot jolt of pleasure that shot through her. And from the sharp grunt from her boyfriend she could tell that he had enjoyed the motion too. So she splayed her hands across his chest to balance herself while she gyrated her hips back and forth gaining speed with each pass. She was practically screaming at this point the sound drowning out everything else, even Minato's pleased grunts. "Why have I never done this before?" Sakura asked herself while she started lifting herself up and down while she gyrated. She leaned forward and slammed her lips onto Minato's muffling their cries while she thrust herself up and down from the new position. Tangling her fingers in Minato's blonde spikes she pulled back just as she felt her orgasm peeking and shoved his face down to her chest. "Lick it!" She was pleased when not even a second later his mouth had enveloped her nipple his tongue rapidly flicking the nub. The wet heat combined with the furious pace she was maintaining was her undoing. Her thrusting became erratic the speed making the headboard smack into the wall repeatedly not that she could be bothered to care who might hear it. "FUCK!" She shrieked when her release shot through her like a tornado. She could feel Minato tense under her before he groaned deep signaling his release. She stilled and slumped forward completely spent from their activities. Soft purrs escaped her lips when she felt his hands running through her hair and down her back in a soothing motion. "There's my apology for my grandma's behavior. Was it good enough?" She angled her head so that she had a clear view of the blonde blue eyes looking down at her.

"Sakura if that's how you apologize for her actions, then it might be worth it to let her torment me!" He chuckled down at the small pout she sent him. He was content to just lay there with her in his arms and that's just what he was about to do before he felt familiar chakra signatures from the living room. "What the...?!" He muttered a second before the door to their room was thrusted open revealing Obito.

"SAKURA SENSEI! MINATO SENSEI! I- AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Said boy screamed like a girl and spun around at seeing the two adults naked in bed together. Sakura shrieked back and threw herself under the covers while Minato sputtered at his student.

"OBITO DON'T YOU KNOW HOW TO KNOCK FIRST?!" Minato yelled at the boy while he covered Sakura's blushing naked form from view. The hell?! Couldn't a man have some peace and quiet with the woman he loved?

"I'M SORRY BUT RIN TOLD ME THAT SAKURA GOT INTO A FIGHT WITH HER GRANDMA AND I WANTED TO COME AND CHEER HER UP!" Obito stuttered in embarrassment. He looked up seeing his other teammates walking down the hall and he moved to block the door. "NO DON'T COME OVER HERE! SENSEI, AND SAKURA ARE NAKED!" He announced spreading his arms to prevent anyone from entering the room.

Minato groaned at the chunin. "Obito please close the door and go out into the living room so we can get dressed." He shot him a withering look when the boy hightailed it out of the room the door slamming shut after him. He turned to Sakura's blushing form that was obscured by the sheets. "Sorry about that Sakura... I keep telling that boy that he needs to learn to respect people's privacy but it never gets through to him." He ran a hand through his tussled hair before getting out of the bed to get dressed. He glared down at the offending boxers that Sakura's grandmother had booby trapped for him before he pulled out another pair from his dresser. Blue eyes shot down to the crotch region and he inspected it to make sure there was no powdery substances before he slipped them on. He settled on getting dressed in a pair of dark blue sweats, and a blue cotton t-shirt. It's not like he was going anywhere. Looking over his shoulder he saw that Sakura had dressed similarly in a pair of pink sweats, and a red tank top. That was one of the things he liked about Sakura... She didn't need fancy clothes, or makeup to be beautiful she was already beautiful no matter what she did. He held out a hand which she took before he lead her out the door.

* * *

The three teenagers blushed when their Senseis entered the living room, none more than Obito though. He looked like someone had just boiled him in a pot he was so red! Rin was blushing almost as bad as Obito! Kakashi, well... you couldn't tell because of the mask but...

Sakura blushed and cleared her throat drawing the three teens attention to her. "So how long were you here?" She asked not really wanting to hear the answer. 'Oooooh! They heard you getting it on with Minato!' Inner snickered into her hand mischievously. That made Sakura groan in misery at the thought. "Please tell me they didn't hear anything!" She chanted to herself like a mantra. Her hopes were dashed by none other then Obito!

"We walked in and heard banging coming from the bedroom! I thought that maybe Sakura's grandma had come back and was beating Sensei with something so I wanted to help..." Obito answered looking quite meek. A thought occurred to him and he looked up at the two jonin curiously. "Hey Minato Sensei is that where babies come from?" He asked ignoring the looks of disbelief everyone shot him.

Minato grunted and dropped his head into his hands. How the hell was he supposed to answer that? He knew the boy didn't have any parents to really explain it to him but... You would think that Fugaku, or Mikoto would have at least given him the talk... He cleared his throat to answer him but Sakura stood up beside him and grabbed a hold of the boy. "Sakura?" He questioned when she dragged the boy away.

"Don't worry Minato I'm just giving him the talk!" Sakura smiled sadistically making the hairs on all of their necks stand up. She yanked him into the closest room and almost immediately Obito started screaming.

"NO SAKURA SENSEI I DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT SPERM IS! AHHHHH! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!" Obito screamed out making the other people sweatdrop at Sakura's tactics. "NO MY PARENTS DID THAT TOO?! THAT'S THE NASTIEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD! EWWW SO THAT'S WHY IT'S SHAPED LIKE THAT?! SO IF I WANT RIN TO HAVE MY BABIES I HAVE TO PUT IT IN HER?! AHHHHHH! NOOOOOOOOOOOO! STOP!" Obito shrieked like a girl from inside the room.

The two men in the room turned to look at the only remaining female who blushed heavily at Obito's latest comment. Rin for her part had been seeing Obito differently lately... Like he was more than a friend to her but she wasn't really sure how to bring it up to him. Why did her feelings for Kakashi fade away only to be replaced by stronger feelings for Obito? Her eyes bugged at another one of Obito's comments.

"SO IT WILL FEEL GOOD WHEN I PUT IT IN RIN?! BUT IT WILL HURT HER? THAT IS NOT FAIR!" Obito shouted completely oblivious to the fact that everyone could hear him.

"Idiot..." Kakashi sighed heavily while he turned back to his Sensei, and Rin. The latter who was blushing like there was no tomorrow... He shook his head again before tuning everything out like he normally did.

"Why does he have to say things like that...?" Rin groaned burying her face into her knees. It wasn't like she was disgusted by it... She was just too young to really think about that kind of thing right now. What should she say to him now? How was she supposed to act after everything he said? Her Sensei's voice called out to her and she lifted her head to regard him.

"Obito is a boy Rin. Most boys his age aren't exactly the smartest. So just give him some time to mull everything over then you can talk to him." Minato smiled at his female student when she averted her eyes in embarrassment. Oh he knew all about Rin's changing feelings. He was as perceptive as they come after all, and he had noticed her eyes resting on Obito almost admiringly many times lately. So she had finally realized her feelings for the Uchiha! Good for her! It was that moment that Sakura chose to drag a whimpering Obito back into the room dropping him to the floor where he curled into the fetal position next to Rin. Minato turned to his girlfriend's smug face. "What did you say to him?!" He asked incredulously. Hell she had to have done a real number on the boy seeing as how he had been in the room for almost fifteen seconds and still had not said anything!

"Oh I just gave him the talk!" She air quotationed on the word talk. A sadistic smirk spread across her lips making everyone's danger radar spike and they all slid further away from her unconsiously.

"Nooooo... No sex ever! I can never eat anything white ever again!" Obito whined pathetically drawing everyone's attention to him. Rin moved closer to him and leaned over him to get a better look at his face.

"Ummm Obito are you okay?" The medic questioned worriedly. Her teammate was looking extremely pale and his body was shaking like a leaf. Oh no! What had Sakura Shishou done to him? Rin placed a hand on his shoulder and started shaking him furiously. "Obito what the hell is wrong with you?! Surely the talk isn't that bad right?" Her eyes slowly trailed over in fear at her Shishou when she said that. Yes it could be that bad especially when Sakura Shishou gave it. She was the scariest woman that Rin had ever met! Brown eyes shot back down to Obito when he suddenly stopped shaking and went still. "Obito! Wake up!" Rin turned him onto his back and leaned down to get a better look at his face. When she was less then an inch away Obito's onyx eyes snapped open a second before his hand came up and yanked Rin's face down so that their lips melded together. She was too shocked to pull away or respond in any way.

Sakura jumped up startling the other two occupants in the room who were looking on in shock. "YEAH YOU GO OBITO! KISS HER SENSELESS AND SHOW HER WHO SHE BELONGS TO!" Sakura shouted victoriously startling the other two even more.

Minato and Kakashi merely shared a look that clearly said we don't want to know before looking back at Rin who had finally snapped out of it and pulled away from Obito.

"Obito you can't just kiss me like that!" Rin bopped the raven haired boy upside the head. Her heart was still fluttering wildly in her chest and she struggled to steady her breathing. The smile fell from the raven haired boy's lips and she instantly felt like he had misunderstood her.

"Why because you want the bastard?" Obito spat glaring harshly at said bastard who just ignored him. That was it all he could take right now and he jumped to his feet and pointed an accusing finger at Kakashi. "RIN'S MINE BASTARD SO YOU BETTER NOT TRY TO PUT THE MOVES ON HER! AND YOU-!" He pointed at Rin who looked shocked at Obito's burst of confidence. "ARE MINE SO DON'T TRY TO DENY IT! I'M STAKING MY CLAIM RIGHT NOW! RIN NOHARA YOU ARE MY GIRLFRIEND FROM THIS DAY FORWARD AND DON'T ARGUE!" Obito shot a glare at everyone in the room daring them to argue his declaration. His Sensei was staring at him in pride, Kakashi was looking at him like he was an alien, Sakura was grinning at him triumphantly, and Rin was blushing redder than a radish.

"Uhhh... Does he know that it doesn't work like that?" Kakashi whispered to his Senseis when Obito had turned back to face Rin. Sakura glared at him to be quiet, while Minato just shrugged his shoulders.

"Why can't it work like that if the girl accepts it?" Minato shrugged casually as he watched his female student fidget. His response was apparently what Sakura had wanted from him because she turned and pulled his face to hers kissing him heatedly.

"That's my Minato! Don't ever try to argue with one of my plans because you will lose!" Sakura smirked arrogantly and turned her attention away from Minato and back onto Rin. She had taken a chance by telling the boy to just go for it but... One look at Rin told her that her earlier speculation about the girl's feelings for Obito had been right. She had stood up to face him, her fingers still rubbing over her bruised lips from Obito's insistent kiss.

Rin's mouth opened and closed several times but nothing would come out! If you had asked her if something like this would ever happen she would have most likely laughed at whoever asked. But now as she stared down the raven haired boy who had just proclaimed that she was his girlfriend to the whole world she could only smile softly at him. When did everything change? When did her heart shift from Kakashi to Obito? Even she didn't notice when it had happened. Maybe it was Sakura Shishou's stories of her lost friend who was so much like Obito. Had it caused her to see the amazing parts of him? Maybe... Or maybe she had felt something for him since the beginning but it was just overshadowed by her feelings for Kakashi, feelings that she did not have anymore. She sighed and shook her head the smile never leaving her lips. "Obito you idiot..." She giggled at the crestfallen look on his face. "No I'm not turning you down! Quite the opposite actually! Sakura Shishou reminded me that sometimes you have to look underneath the underneath to make sense of things. So I did look at my feelings for you and I discovered that they were more than friendship." He was practically dancing in place in front of her and she couldn't help the little laugh that escaped her at how ridiculous he looked. "I like you even if you are an idiot! So I accept!" She had expected him to jump her and hug her senseless or perhaps kiss her, but no instead of any of that he fainted dead onto the floor. "OBITO!" She yelled and kneeled down next to his sprawled form on the floor. She poked at his face with a gentle hand while her Shishou came to stand behind her.

"Calm down Rin he just fainted from excitement." Sakura placed a comforting hand on the brunette's shoulder. 'Cha! Can Obito-kun get anymore adorable?' Inner squealed and spun in circles. Sakura shook her head and chuckled under her breath. No he most likely could not get anymore adorable than this...

The raven haired boy's eyes twitched and then slowly opened and locked on Sakura who was looming over Rin. In the haze of his thoughts he asked one question that in this situation was probably not the best thing to ask. "Sakura Sensei will Rin have big boobs like you when she gets older too?" He asked stupidly making everyone freeze in place. He felt a wave of killing intent flowing from beside him and he turned to face his new girlfriend.

"HOW DARE YOU ASK SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!" Rin roared and dragged the poor raven haired boy up by his collar, and once standing she proceeded to slap the ever loving shit out of him. "ARE YOU SAYING THAT I'M SMALL CHESTED OR SOMETHING?!" Rin shrieked and continued her assault on him.

"AHHH NO RIN I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! AHHHHH STOOOOOP!" Obito cried while he attempted to escape Rin's hold.

Sakura wiped away happy tears at Rin's behavior. "RIN YOU'RE MAKING ME PROUD! BEAT HIM UNTIL HE LEARNS SOME MANNERS!" Sakura roared ignoring the way her other two companions were looking at her like she was crazy. 'CHA! HELL YEAH GIRL! BEAT HIS ASS!' Inner roared and struck a kung fu pose. At that moment the door opened to reveal Kagami, and Jiraiya of all people. Kagami took one look at the scene in front of her and immediately came to stand next to Sakura and cheer Rin on.

"YEAH YOU GO RIN! I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE BEATING UP POOR OBITO-KUN BUT GOOD ON YA!" Kagami cheered before turning to Sakura curiously. "So what is she beating him for?" She asked her granddaughter.

"Oh she's beating him because they're dating now and he accidentally saw me naked, so he asked if her boobs would be as big as mine someday..." Sakura hastily explained while she poked at her chest that rivaled Hinata's in the other time. Her grandma instantly stopped her cheering and shrieked startling everyone.

"YOU LITTLE PERVERT!" She roared and pounced on Obito knocking Rin away from him and taking her place in beating on the poor boy. "HOW DARE YOU COMMENT ON MY SAKURA'S CHEST!? I'LL TEACH YOU SOME MANNERS!"

"GRANDMA! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF OBITO-KUN!" Sakura shouted as she moved forward to pry her grandmother off of Obito's broken form. The two Uzumaki women began rolling around and tussling on the floor as Sakura fought to keep her grandmother's enraged form away from Obito. "YOU CAN'T JUST GO AROUND BEATING ON PEOPLE! DIDN'T YOU LEARN AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO MINATO EARLIER?!" Sakura shouted while she pinned her grandma to the floor.

"NEVER!" Kagami shouted back continuing to struggle under Sakura. Neither of them paid any attention to the people in the background.

Jiraiya had moved to his student's side and was staring at him sympathetically. "What did she do to you kid?" A grimace lit up on the blonde's face at the memory and Jiraiya had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

"You don't want to know..." Minato muttered low enough for only his teacher to hear. How did it even end up like this? Rin healing a beaten Obito while Sakura wrestled with her grandma for the second time in a day! All in the middle of his living room! Why were the gods so fickle? He guessed that it wasn't all bad... He did have Sakura after all... And he would never let her go even if this was what he had to deal with having her around.


	20. Chapter 20

Alright guys here's the next chapter for you! I want to thank Romantically distant, minniemousemom, and LeAvE FiRe for reviewing on almost if not every chapter. Your continued support in this story inspires me to keep coming up with new ideas and to not give up on it! Thank you for constantly leaving me feedback! Anyways on with the story! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! LEMON ALERT! I want to test my skills out so that they improve so Ihope you all aren't bothered that there's another one in this chapter! There won't be one next chap so hang in there!

* * *

Sakura sighed as she watched the snow fall outside of her office window. Snow was rare and fleeting in Fire Country, and by the time the morning sun came up it would all have disappeared. Sometimes she wished it would stick and keep the land pristine looking like some kind of untainted slate. But there was no such luck. The snow could not last. Just like it could not keep her mind off of her goals. So much to do and so little time to accomplish everything... Her mind seemed so desolate and empty. Was it because Minato had been gone on a mission for the last week? Could she really not think positively while he was away? No it seemed as though she struggled without him more than she should. 'But he should be back any minute now! CHA!' Inner supplied hopefully. Yes that was right. He was due back today. She was just sad that she would have to leave him for a bit to talk to her grandmother like she had promised. Bright green eyes glanced up at the clock to see that her shift had ended over three hours ago. "Better get outta here before someone comes along and drags me out..." She muttered to herself and slipped her doctor's coat off. She shrugged into her light winter jacket and exited her office. "See you on Monday!" She called out to the secretaries behind the reception desk. Several hurried nods, and waves were the response she got before she finally pushed her way out onto the street. Her feet crunched in the snow as she padded along towards her shared apartment with Minato. Yes he had conveniently told her after he found out that she still referred to it as his place, that it was theirs because she was his. Needless to say she had whacked him over the head for claiming her like an object. But inside she was secretly warmed to her core by the conviction that she heard in his voice. Maybe she should do something nice for his birthday that was coming up in the next few weeks. Something that will really show him how much she cares about him. Her mind raced with different ideas as she dipped under the overhang of the building and made her way inside and up the stairs to their apartment. She could sense a familiar chakra signature inside so her face lit up with a smile as she pushed the door open hastily, and ran towards the couch to glomp the blonde man that was sitting there. "MINATO!" She squealed while she hugged him half to death. She could feel him chuckling into her shoulder while his arms slide around her waist to return her affection.

"Did you really miss me that much?" Minato pulled back to stare up at the pinkette. She simply pouted at him and nodded her head slowly. "I missed you too Beautiful. But I have some good news!" Her eyes lit up like a kid in the candy store and he had to laugh at such an innocent expression being on her face. "The war is drawing to an end. Kumo, and Iwa have been drawn back and their forces have been depleted. It's almost over and when it is I will begin my training to be Hokage." He beamed up at his girlfriend. And maybe...just maybe he had some things planned for Sakura as well.

"That's great Minato! You will be an amazing Hokage I just know it! No literally I know it!" She joked twisting a blonde spike between her fingers. She had never seen Minato so excited for anything before, it was endearing in a way. She leaned forward to press her lips against his and his tongue swept out to lick her bottom lip in a plea for her to open her mouth for him. "Only for a minute Minato... I'm supposed to meet my grandma soon." She warned before she opened her mouth for his tongue to snake in and rub against hers. Her tongue ran against his and wrapped around it while she sucked on it. One of his hands came up to rest at the back of her head and hold her more firmly to him so that he could have better access to her mouth. Her hips unconsciously started to grind against his seeking relief for the intense heat that had started pooling there. 'Not that I'm not all for dry humping the shit out of Minato... But don't we have to go meet grandma soon?' Inner reminded her voice barely breaking through the lust filled haze in Sakura's mind. With a groan she pulled back from her boyfriend. "Bad boy for making me want you when I have to go meet my grandma!" She glared playfully at the smirking blonde.

"Whoa! You're the one that starred humping me! Not that I minded in the least, but you can't blame me because you missed me that much that you have to jump my bones right when I walk in the door!" His smirk widened when she smacked his chest and extracted herself from him with a mutter of "rape him later" or something to that effect. "It's not rape if you're willing Beautiful!" He snickered at her as she made her way towards the hallway. She stopped and turned to face him.

"Do you want to come with? I wanted to talk to my grandma about something important over dinner. I think you might want to hear what she says." She didn't wait for him to respond before she made her way down the hallway towards her room. There was no way that Minato would not do anything that she asked of him.

* * *

Kagami glared back and forth at her granddaughter, and the blonde haired menace sitting across from her. "Why is he here?" She spat irritably. Sure she had spent a lot of time with her granddaughter while the blonde man was away for over a week, but that wasn't enough for her!

Sakura shifted in her seat and moved closer to Minato. "He's here because I want him to be here grandma! Why can't you just get over whatever problem you have with him?! He's here to stay so you will have to get used to him at some point!" Sakura glared heatedly at her grandma. Honestly she had had just about enough of her grandmother blatantly showing her dislike of her boyfriend! Just last week she had put live crabs in his side of the bed! It was a good thing that Sakura had checked beforehand! Not that Minato wouldn't have noticed it but... She sighed heavily as her sad eyes came to rest on her grandma's. "Why can't you just let me be happy with him? Can't you see how much I love him? Why do you have to make it so difficult?!" Her voice was soft and unbearably sad. She hoped that her grandma would not make her choose, because she would choose Minato. He was the first one she had come to love in this time, and nothing could change how she felt.

He could hear the sadness, and pain in her voice. Emotions that her grandma was inflicting on her unintentionally or otherwise. Either way he was tired of seeing Sakura so heartbroken over something like this! She already had enough on her plate, she didn't need her grandma to stir up more feelings of sorrow than she already felt on a daily basis as it was. So he placed a reassuring hand on her back while he turned to face her Kagami. "Sakura deserves to be happy Kagami-san. And if I make her happy then you need to learn how to accept it. She has enough to deal with as it is, she doesn't need to fight with you over something that you don't have a say in!" His voice came out strong and defiant almost as if he was daring her to argue with him. Honestly it surprised even him a little bit because while he could be fierce when need be, he was generally a calm and well spoken person. He could tell that he had startled the old woman because her jaw was hanging slightly agape.

Kagami snapped her mouth shut and glared back at the blonde fiercely. Why couldn't they see how she felt? This blonde man was taking her granddaughter from her just when she had found her again. How else would she react? "How do you expect me to feel when you're taking my granddaughter from me? I lost her once in my life, and I won't lose her again!" If the blonde idiot thought that he was taking her Sakura from her without a fight he was dead wrong! She didn't care if he was Konoha's Yellow Flash or the gods themselves! Her eyes trailed over to lock on Sakura who looked absolutely stunned at her declaration.

She wanted to yell at her and tell her that she was wrong but Minato stopped her before she could say anything. This was something that needed to be said between the two of them. The fight was between the two of them so they had to resolve it.

"I have absolutely no intention of taking Sakura away from you Kagami-san. Yes I am going to be with her, but that does not mean that you can't be with her too. She will never have to choose between us because I won't leave her, just as I know that you won't either. So please don't misunderstand my intentions. I love Sakura more than anything in the world, and I never want to do anything to hurt her. And I know that if she had to choose it would hurt her, so I won't allow it! So please do not feel threatened by my presence." Minato locked eyes with the redhead to convey how serious he was about this. If he had know that this was what was was causing Kagami distress in the first place, he would have rectified it the first day! And from the way her eyes were softening as she looked at him, he had a feeling that he had gotten through to the old woman.

"You don't want to take her away from me? You won't make her choose you over me? But I..." Her throat felt tight with the emotions coursing through her. After losing everything was she truly afraid of a man taking away her Sakura? Looking up at the blonde haired man she concluded that yes that was the problem. She thought that the blonde haired man would whisk her granddaughter away and she would never see her again. She had been acting totally irrationally since she had come here. Where could he take Sakura? This was his home, and he was as dedicated to his home as any person could ever be. This was where they would stay... This was where she could always count on Sakura to be. Now she almost felt bad about torturing the poor boy... Ok well she did kind of feel bad... But torturing her daughter's boyfriend had always been a habit that had even continued well on into their marriage. She guessed it had just carried onto her granddaughter as well. But maybe she could take it easy on the boy for a while... Just a little bit... "I'm sorry for making things so hard on you. Both of you." She shot a pointed look at Sakura. "I just didn't want to lose you again Sakura, and I thought that this boy would take you away from me. I was selfish. I didn't care that you were happy with him. I wanted to have you with me always. But now that I think back on what has happened since we met, I know that it was not his intention to take you from me. If that had been it, he would not have let me stay with you. My insecurities got the best of me! I apologize to the both of you! I promise that I will cut back on torturing Minato-kun! Just a little bit!" She beamed at the horrified expressions on their faces.

"GRANDMA! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BEHAVE YOURSELF LIKE A GROWN WOMAN?" Sakura shouted indignantly. Why couldn't she just be good to Minato? Even when she had learned her lesson, she really hadn't in a way. She felt so bad for Minato as he cowered into her side. Why? Why couldn't grandma just be good for once?!

"Well Sakura this didn't start with Minato! I used to torment your poor father day in and day out! One time I put a snapping turtle in his bed after he came home from a mission!" She smiled sadistically at the memory. "It was a good thing you were already conceived child! Because poor Yasuo was not getting any after that! EVER!" Kagami cackled gleefully at the memory of her son in law running around with a snapping turtle attached to his pants. "OH! I thought Akemi would never forgive me!" She doubled over oblivious to the horrified looks on her companions faces.

"S-Sakura..." Minato whimpered into his girlfriend's shoulder. "Please check the bed before I come back for missions!" He whimpered pitifully as he attempted to wrap himself around Sakura's smaller body.

"GRANDMA! I can't believe you did that to dad! What if I hadn't been conceived yet?" Sakura spat out at her highly amused grandmother. "YOU BETTER NOT DO THAT TO MINATO! IF YOU DO I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU! I WANT A BABY AT SOME POINT DAMMIT!" She shouted and slammed her hands down on the table snapping her grandmother out of her laughing fit. Their eyes locked and narrowed dangerously at each other.

"NO KIDS UNTIL YOU ARE MARRIED SAKURA! AND YOU AREN'T ALLOWED TO GET MARRIED UNTIL YOU'RE FIFTY!" Kagami spat out rising to stand eye level with her granddaughter.

"FIFTY?! HELL NO! I WILL HAVE HIT MENOPAUSE BY THEN! YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!" Sakura shrieked back catching the attention of the other patrons.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU ABOUT FUCKING CURSING!?" Kagami shouted back equally furious. Neither of them noticed the parent's glaring at their table as they hurried to cover their children's ears.

Minato just sighed at the scene in front of him. Should he do something before it escalated to blows? Yes he felt that he should not let the children in the restaurant be exposed to that. He reached out a hand and pulled Sakura into her seat. "Didn't you have something to talk to Kagami-san about?" He shot her an exasperated look.

Sakura grumbled under her breath about Minato and his habit of not letting her get physical with people, before she turned back to her grandmother. "I thought that it would be prudent for me to ask you about the seal that was placed on me to seal my powers." She cleared her throat while her grandma sank back into her seat.

"What did you want to know?" Kagami asked carefully. This was definitely not the topic that she had thought that Sakura would bring up. She was actually hoping that her granddaughter would come clean about her life so far... No such luck...

Sublty was never her strong suit so she just came out and asked what she wanted to know. "Can the seal be undone?" She asked unsure of how her companions would react. Her grandmother's eyes widened slightly, while Minato turned to look at her with an unreadable expression.

"The seal needs to be reinforced every decade. I am actually surprised that it hasn't broken yet... But why would you want that power Sakura? It will only make you a target for criminal ninja." She struggled to understand why Sakura would want that power. What could she possibly use it for?

She couldn't tell them that she wanted to use that power in case sealing Kurama into Naruto did not go as planned... Minato would throw a tantrum she was sure of it! And her grandma... Well she would just have to come up with something that wasn't exactly a lie, but not really the truth either. "I think it could be useful if Akatsuki manages to get their hands on any of the tailed beasts. That way I could take control of them and weaken Akatsuki if need be." And seal Kurama into our son... She thought to herself while she glanced at Minato from the corner of her eye. He was watching her closely like he knew she wasn't telling him everything. Thank god he couldn't read minds.

Kagami shot a look at Minato who was busy studying Sakura intently. Did he not believe Sakura entirely as well? Sure her reasons were solid, but the little twitch in her eye gave away the fact that she was hiding something. She turned back to Sakura and locked eyes with her. "Those are solid arguments Sakura. But I get the feeling that you aren't telling us everything." Her eyes locked on Sakura's rapidly hardening expression and she knew that she was right.

Damn these two for being so perceptive! She calmed herself down and calmly stood up from the table. "That is all I needed to know!" She plastered on a fake smile and excused herself from the restaurant. If they found out about her plans for the future she would be in deep trouble. Minato would not allow it and she knew it. He would pitch a fit and watch her like a hawk everyday. Maybe it was selfish of her to keep all of this away from them... But Naruto needed Kurama. He wouldn't be Naruto without him.

"The kid will be fine without me!" Kurama's deep voice rumbled from inside her head. "I know it may be hard to imagine him being different then you knew him to be, but that is inevitable. You will be his mother this time, not Kushina. So it is fair to say that he will be different regardless. And besides, you are a much more pleasant host to be in! Your thoughts aren't annoyingly erratic like the blonde idiots's were. So just think about it alright?" With that he disappeared into her mind just as Minato caught up with her. He grabbed her and spun her around to face him.

"Sakura what was that? You just ran out before we even ate!" His ocean blue eyes darkened in concern for her. There was something that she was keeping from him and it bothered him. "Tell me what's wrong with you." He pleaded his eyes never leaving hers.

This was not what she wanted... She did not want to make him worry about her. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. Her lips melded against his warm ones slow, and unhurried. She pulled back after a moment and stared up at him. "I was just thinking about something from my past." She smiled reassuringly up at him. It wasn't exactly a lie because she had been thinking about Naruto and how he had been in the future. No matter how hard she tried she could not see him any other way... He needed Kurama, and she would make sure that he had him. "We should head home before it gets dark." She wrapped her hand around his and pulled him along with her. She would make sure to distract him when they got home.

* * *

As she pulled her boyfriend inside the apartment intent on continuing where they had left off earlier they were both frozen when they heard voices coming from Rin's room. Minato quickly crept down the hall until he was standing right next to Rin's open door Sakura following close behind.

"Obito we're thirteen! We don't need to do things like that yet!" Rin's voice chastised from inside the room. Sakura shot Minato a look that clearly said 'what is she talking about'. Minato just shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the room in time to concentrate on what Obito had to say.

"But Riiiiiin! I asked my aunt about it and she said it was a way to prove your love for someone else! So if that's true then why can't we?" Obito shouted back without even attempting to muffle his voice.

"Minato is he talking about what I think he's talking about?" Sakura whispered to her boyfriend whose eyes were rapidly darkening. He looked like he wanted to bust in the room and beat Obito half to death for even suggesting something like this! It almost made Sakura want to laugh at the fact that he played the role of overprotective father even with Rin. She sobered up and grabbed a hold of his arm when he took a menacing step towards the room. "Hold on! They could be talking about anything!" Sakura reasoned with the quivering mass of anger she was holding onto. 'CHA! YEAH RIGHT OUTTER! OBITO WANTS TO GET IT ON WITH RIN! YOU TWO ARE SUCH BAD INFLUENCES!' Inner fist pumped from inside her head. She would have tried to convince him more but... Well Obito was around so something had to go wrong at some point because the next thing they heard made all hell break loose.

"Obito I am not having sex with you! Where did you even get this idea from?" Rin stared incredulously at her boyfriend's pouting form. He opened his mouth to say something but at that moment the door was thrust open and there stood Minato Sensei with a nervous looking Sakura behind him. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she finally gathered herself enough to form a rational thought. "Hi Sensei! Hi Shishou! What are you doing back here so early?" She stuttered and shot her boyfriend a worried look from the corner of her eye.

"Obito..." Minato called out to the young boy drawing his attention to him. Was it bad that he took pleasure in the way that the chunin shook in fear in front of him? He smiled darkly making the young boy whimper in fear at the feral look on his face. "I know you weren't trying to de-virginize our little Rin. Now were you?" He cracked his knuckles and took a menacing step towards Obito.

CRAP! Why did Sensei, and Sakura Sensei have to come home at this time? His eyes shot over to the window which was tightly shut because of the cold weather. His aunt always told him to be honest so that the reprucussions weren't so bad. "Aunt Mikoto told me that it was a way to express love so I wanted to. So yes I was trying to de-virginize both of us." Obito immediately whimpered and wished that he had not said that because in the blink of an eye Minato Sensei had dashed towards him. "AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as he turned and made a break for the window. He threw it open easily being thankful that it hadn't been locked before he slipped out of it. He streaked down the streets of Konoha with his blonde Sensei right on his heels. "I'M SORRY!" He shouted back to the older man who he was sure was just prolonging the chase for his own amusement.

"SORRY ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH THIS TIME OBITO!" Minato shouted smirking maliciously at the young boy seconds before he closed in.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Obito's scream could be heard all over Konoha.

* * *

Rin's head snapped up from its bowed position when she heard Obito scream bloody murder. "Sakura Shishou! What did Minato Sensei do to Obito?" Rin shot panicked brown eyes over to her Shishou.

Sakura shifted nervously on her feet. "What indeed Rin..." She responded not really having an answer. 'CHA! I BET HE TIRED THE POOR KID UP TO A POLE BY HIS UNDERWEAR! WE'LL SEE HIM TOMORROW HANGING BY HIS WHITEY TIGHTIES IN THE MIDDLE OF KONOHA!' Inner shouted gleefully. "You know with Minato I don't doubt that..." Sakura sweatdropped and agreed with her that it was possible. She turned her attention back to the younger girl and almost face palmed at Rin's tearfilled eyes. Oh shit! 'Look what you did Outter!' Inner chastied her playfully. "Rin I'm sure the Minato wouldn't do anything terribly bad to Obito! He's probably just having a talk with him somewhere! When you see him tomorrow he will be healthy as can be! Just you wait!" Sakura hurried to reassure the shaking girl. At least Rin looked more at ease after that... Even though Sakura was still banking on the wedgie hang idea...

Both women turned their heads in the direction of the window when Minato calmly slipped back in not a hair out of place. "Well that will teach him!" He smiled cheerfully at the two gaping females.

"SENSEI WHAT DID YOU DO TO OBITO?!" Rin cried tears leaking from her eyes. Oh no! Her first boyfriend was already dead because of her overprotective Sensei! She was going to die a virgin because of her idiot teammates.

"Obito? Oh well he's fine! I just gave him a rough talking to! You will see him at training tomorrow... Maybe..." He whispered the last part low enough for the chunin not to be able to hear. But Sakura clearly did because she was gaping at him openly now. He held up a hand to signal that she would be filled in later while he focused on Rin again. "Now Rin if Obito ever tries to get you to do something you don't want to again, you just come find me! I will just have to teach that boy a lesson every time he over steps the boundaries you have set!" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at the brunette expectantly. Her shoulders finally slumped and she faced him exasperatedly.

"Yes Sensei! If Obito tries to put the moves on me before I'm ready, I will tell you!" Rin sighed and stood from her bed. "I'm gonna go to Shizune's for the night." She looked to Sakura for her approval.

"That's fine Rin. Just don't be late to training tomorrow!" Sakura nodded her head and the girl was out the door in a flash. When she heard the front door open and close she turned back to Minato expectantly. "Well? What did you really do to Obito-kun?" She asked using the suffix which she rarely used for anyone.

"Nothing too bad Sakura! So don't be worried about him!" Minato made his way over to the weary looking pinkette and pulled her to him. "Now... Were we going to continue where we left off earlier?" He pulled her hips to his and rubbed them together.

"That's right... Now be a good boy and follow me." Sakura purred turning on her heel and leading Minato down the hall and to their room. She quickly shed her clothes and laid herself down on the bed while he locked their bedroom door. He stood there peering down at her almost hungrily before his clothes disappeared in a flurry of blue, and he was on top of her. She could feel his hands ghost down her body first over her chest, then down her stomach and over the seal, all the way down to her nether region where he rubbed her nub. Her green eyes locked on his expectant blue ones.

"I'm giving you the choice Beautiful. Tell me what you want me to do." He licked his lips his hand stilling against her clit. God she looked so beautiful with her hair spread out over the sheets in a sea of pink, lips parted in an 'o', her large chest heaving. When she looked like that he would do whatever she wanted! He felt her finger thread through his hair and push his head down.

"Use your tongue down there." Sakura panted out blushing slightly from embarrassment. She thought that he would be disgusted by her plea, but it was quite the opposite, he smirked at her and in the blink of an eye his face was between her legs just a breath away. His tongue snaked out and gave her nub a long slow lick which had her arching into his mouth as a sharp whimper left her mouth. "Please don't tease me Minato!" She whimpered when he only repeated the motion several more times.

Well if she wanted him to go ballistic on her then who was he to deny her? Without delay he shoved his tongue into the slick opening twisting it around to rub against the sensitive flesh. Sakura practically screamed at the sensation and he had to fight to keep her hips from breaking his nose with the force she was bucking into him with. His hands came up to hold her hips down as he removed his tongue from inside of her to rapidly flick out at her nub eliciting another sharp cry from his girlfriend as her hips gyrated desperately against his face. He alternated between rapidly flicking at the sensitive nub, to rapid licks at the opening. Her hips followed him sloppily at first but then she started to get the hang of it and her thrusts were more in time with his tongue's licking motions. Her hands had fisted in his hair to hold him closer to her while she tried desperately to get more contact. He removed one of his hands from her hips and brought two of his fingers to her opening and thrusted them inside while he sucked her clit into his mouth and sucked on it.

"Shit!" Sakura cursed at the added sensation as she felt the coil tighten to impossible lengths. She could feel her walls quivering around his fingers and she whimpered. "Almost!" She panted out as she started bucking her hips more violently against his face. Her eyes shot down and locked with his as he stared up at her with hooded eyes. She screamed loud and shrill when he started humming around her nub while he sucked it even further into his mouth while he started thrusting his fingers into her even faster. Her back arched like a bow as her orgasm raced through her. "MINATO!" She shrieked pulling his face even closer as she rode out the waves of her release before finally slumping down against the bed. "You're a monster..." She gasped as her boyfriend crawled up the bed to retrieve a condom from his nightstand.

"Oh? I didn't hear you complaining!" He chuckled as he tore open the little foil package and rolled the latex onto his length. He turned back to her and froze at the position she was in. She was sprawled before him on her hands and knees her hair swept to the side enough for him to see the object of his desires. His throat went dry and he looked up at her in awe. It wasn't that he'd never had a woman like this... He just didn't figure Sakura as the type who wanted it from behind. "Uhh Sakura?" He stuttered out as she waggled her behind at him.

"Yes Baby?" Sakura threw a sly smirk over her shoulder. He must be so surprised at her blatant manner of doing things in the bedroom lately. Sure they had never done it like this! But Ino had once told her that it was amazing, so she wanted to try it. Throwing on her best coy look she addressed him. "Are you going to make me wait all day?" She purred as the dumbfounded look changed to one of a predator. He was behind her in a second his length pressed against her opening.

"You asked for it!" Minato smirked as she whimpered and dropped her face into the pillows when he pushed his way in. He drew himself out all the way to the tip and slammed himself back in groaning at the tight heat. He repeated the motion again smirking at the way Sakura cried out. "Good girl..." He grunted as he started slamming into her repeatedly.

Sakura could barely even believe how good it felt! Her face was pressed into the pillows to muffle her cries as Minato plowed into her repeatedly. The angle, and position allowed him to his so much deeper than she was used to and she screamed with almost every thrust. She lifted her upper body up and started throwing her hips back in time with his thrusts making him groan even louder. She heard him growl ferociously before she was yanked up by her shoulder so that he back was pressed against his chest, and his mouth sought out hers and slammed against them.

He brought her arm to wrap around his neck to hold herself to him so that his hands could wander down to her chest, and clit. He twisted her nipple in his hands while he simultaneously rubbed her clit. Her walls were already tightening around him again and his release was close as well. He pulled away from her mouth and grunted at her. "Cum Sakura!" He commanded heatedly.

His commanding voice coupled with the sensations she was feeling was enough to make her orgasm tear through her in a second. "SHIT! Shitshitshitshitshit!" She chanted as her walls tightened impossibly around his length.

He grunted as her walls clamped around him like a vice. He kept thrusting his pace becoming erratic until he exploded. "SAKURA!" He roared as he rode out the waves of his climax before he slumped down onto the bed with her beside him. They both panted and struggled to catch their breath before he finally composed himself enough to smirk at her. "Baby huh?" He chuckled at the new nickname she had given him.

"It was a spur of the moment thing!" Sakura huffed feeling embarrassed. 'CHA! I LIKED THE NICKNAME!' Inner huffed angrily. Sakura shook her head and buried the back of her head into his shoulder. "Sorry... It must have embarrassed you..." Sakura whispered quietly. His chest rumbled against her back and it took her a minute to realize that he was laughing at her.

"Oh Sakura I wasn't embarrassed! I just never expected any of this!" He buried his face into her shoulder and kissed it. "I could never feel anything but happy when we're together. I guess that's what it means to love someone more than anything." He rubbed her thigh affectionately. He didn't need to see her face to know that she was embarrassed, no he could feel it wafting off of her. She fidgeted against him before finally stilling.

"Idiot... I love you too! Now go to sleep! I'm too tired to deal with you right now!" Sakura huffed and snuggled into his body for warmth. Her eyes were heavy and she struggled to keep them open. "Hey Minato?" She whispered to him as she struggled to retain her consciousness. He squeezed her leg softly to let her know that he had heard her. "What did you really do with Obito?" She brought one of his hands to her chest to rest over her heart.

"Oh he's just hanging around..." He smirked into her neck. "You've had a long day Sakura, go to sleep." He pulled the blankets up around them making sure that she wouldn't get cold.

"M'kay..." She mumbled seconds before the darkness over took her.

Meanwhile somewhere in Konoha...

* * *

"Help! My crazy Sensei tied me to this pole by my underwear!" Obito cried out from his hanging position over the barbeque restaurant. He looked down and saw Kakashi staring up at him like he was the most amusing thing ever. "HEY BASTARD GET ME DOWN!" Obito yelled at the other boy.

"Nope! If I did that then I wouldn't be able to sit here watching you! Then where would my amusement come from?" Kakashi iterated slowly like he was talking to an idiot. Well he kinda was but...

"BAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDD!" Obito screamed alerting all of Konoha to his plight. Too bad no one could be bothered to save him...


	21. Chapter 21

Alright before I start I want to address something about Sakura's relationship with her grandma. Someone said that Sakura accepted her grandma too quickly in their review, the reason is because Sakura never had grandparents before. Her adoptive parents did not have parents because they had passed away. As for their strange relationship, well both of them are stubborn, headstrong, violent, and have explosive tempers. Of course they are going to butt heads! And I also wanted Kagami to be a sort of comic relief, and someone to really get Sakura's mind off of things at least temporarily. But there will be some development between them in this chapter so hopefully you guys like it! On with the chapter! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! Also I would like to start a poll of whether or not Naruto will become the jinchuuriki! It's kind of a toss up at this point! Sakura wants to make sure that Naruto has Kurama, but do you really think she can keep it from Minato forever? He is not going to just say oh that's fine! So it's a fifty fifty at this point! Let me know what you think in your reviews.

* * *

Sakura ran her fingers through Minato's hair while he slept peacefully beside her. The was would be over in the next six months or so, and then she would not have to worry about him going off on dangerous life threatening missions anymore. No. Then he would be the Hokage, and he would never have to leave the village. After everything was said and done he would never have to leave her. She glanced up at the clock and saw that it was after eight o'clock at night so she figured she would leave him to rest. She did need to talk to her grandma about her past. It was more than time to come clean to the only blood relative she had left. Turning back to her boyfriend she leaned down and pecked his lips softly before she got up and exited the room. Her grandma was sitting on the couch reading a scroll when she walked in. "Grandma can we talk?" Sakura shifted her feet across the carpet. Would her grandma even believe her story?

"Of course we can!" Kagami replied cheerfully. She sat her scroll down on the table and stood to make her way over to Sakura. "Should we go out for the night? There's this nice tavern down the street. I heard that they serve great food, and even better sake." She smirked at the exasperated sigh that passed her granddaughter's lips.

"That sounds fine... We can drink after we talk." Sakura pulled her along and out the door of the apartment. God she hoped that she did not regret this decision...

* * *

Oka's tavern was nicer than most Sakura decided. It was clean and the patrons were not your run of the mill low lifes. They had quickly found a booth and no one had tried to frisk the back of her skirt yet. Call her surprised!

"So Sakura what you want to eat?" Kagami asked as she looked over a menu they had been given. She had decided on the teriyaki chicken meal and snapped her menu shut. Her eyes wandered to her granddaughter who was barely even looking at her menu. No she was peering at her rather nervously. Her eyebrows furrowed and she was about to ask why she looked so nervous but the waiter came to take their orders.

"What can I get you ladies?" The young man with shaggy brown hair, and deep green eyes asked. You would have to be a dense fool to not notice the way he was oogling Sakura.

Kagami huffed in irritation and slapped her hand down on the table to catch his attention. "I will have the teriyaki chicken! And you will have a black eye courtesy of me if you don't stop oogling my granddaughter you heathen!" Kagami spat dangerously. The young man just snorted unfazed and turned back to Sakura expectantly.

"Dango. I will have the dango." Sakura shoved the menu towards the jerk and studiously began ignoring him. Jeez she had the worst luck when it came to men! They either hated her and only wanted her for sex! Or they couldn't take a hint! The latter was from this time, the former from her previous time. But god was she thankful she had found Minato!

"Alright it'll be out in a jiffy sweetheart!" The man gathered their menus and sauntered back to the kitchen.

"That little shit! I'm going to knock him out in about five seconds if he doesn't stop!" Kagami hissed clenching her fists on top of the table. Heat enveloped her hand and she looked over to see that Sakura had placed her hand on top of hers. That solemn look was in her eyes and it instantly made Kagami sit up straight. "Sakura?" Sakura was looking straight at her with an unreadable expression. What was she thinking?

How could she say this without her grandma thinking she was crazy? 'Just ease into the crazy part!' Inner suggested helpfully. Yes maybe that would work. She faced her grandma once more and locked eyes with her. "I wanted to tell you about my life. Well some of it..." She grimaced at the bright smile that lit up her grandma's face.

"That's great Sakura! Oooh! I've been wanting to hear all about it!" Kagami gushed in excitement. Finally she would be getting some much needed answers! She waited on bated breath for Sakura to begin.

"Well I grew up here in Konoha with my adoptive parents Mebuki, and Kizashi Haruno. I didn't know that I was adopted so it was a shock when I found out that I was." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The thought of her parents...adoptive parents, made her heart ache. "They raised me like every child should be raised, with an abundance of love. You would never have guessed that I wasn't theirs because they treated me like I was the most important thing in their world. They really did love me." She fingered the cherry blossom necklace that her father had given her when he died. They had truly loved her... And she would never forget about them. "When I was six I entered the ninja academy, they were so proud of me! And I was excited to meet other kids and make friends. But it didn't work out like that... No one wanted to talk to me because my hair was pink, and I had a big forehead... I would spend every recess by myself because none of the kids wanted to talk to me. It was like that until a girl named Ino helped me. She became my first friend and we were practically inseparable. It was because of her that I made it as far as I did on my own. I wanted to prove to myself that I was better than her. But when I was assigned to the same team as the boy we both liked I didn't take my training seriously at all... I was always lagging behind my teammates... I was always watching them from the background..." She grimaced at the memories of how useless she used to be. "It wasn't until the chunin exams when my teammates were incapacitated that I realized how much of a burden I was to them. I had to fight to protect them when they were unable to, and I would have failed if Ino and her team had not come to our rescue. I realized how far behind I truly was... And after that I wanted to try even harder to be of more use to my boys." She swallowed the lump in her throat that had caused her to become choked up. "I fought Ino in the preliminaries. I was scared that I would never match up to her... But I refused to give up even though she was the standout among the rookie kunoichi. I fought her with everything that I had. Even though in the end we were both knocked out and neither of us advanced. But it was thanks to that fight that we were able to rekindle our friendship with each other. I feel like I took a big step to becoming what I am today as a result of that fight." Why had she wasted so much time fighting with Ino? It made her want to cry about how stupid she had been. She wanted to beat herself up because of how cruel she had been to Ino, and Naruto. She wanted to slap herself because of how infatuated she had been with Sasuke... Why was she always the last person to realize her own feelings? She wasn't ready to tell her grandmother about her teammates in detail yet... "She was only a part of it though. My teammate always inspired me to be better then I was. He was the kind of person who would never give up. It was because of him that I adopted that way as well. He was the exact opposite of the boy that I was infatuated with... The boy that I wasted my time pursuing... And when they both left... I was devastated." Tears welled up in her eyes and she forced them back. "I trained hard for two and a half years until my idiotic teammate came back... But even after he came back to me I was still struggling behind him... No matter what I did it wasn't enough for me. I wanted to fight with everything I had to protect him, and my other teammates. I was always enveloped with a sense of worthlessness. And when the fourth war started..." Her grandma interrupted her at this point in her story.

"Fourth war...? Sakura we're in the midst of the third war right now... What nonsense are you speaking?" Kagami stared wide eyed at her granddaughter who looked like she had been expecting that reaction. Their eyes locked and Kagami was surprised by the seriousness in Sakura's green depths.

"I came from the future grandma... In the world that I grew up in, the fourth war was raging. The shinobi villages had banded together and created an alliance. We had to stand united against Madara otherwise we would fall." She pleaded with her eyes for her kin to believe her even if it sounded crazy.

Time travel? What could she say to that? There had never been any documented cases of time travel that she had ever heard of... "Sakura how would you have been in that time? I don't understand it..." Her brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing.

"It didn't make sense to me either when Sakuya told me..." She smiled slightly at her grandma's face that was laced with confusion. Hell if it hadn't happened to her she would be skeptical, and confused as well. "Sakuya was a seeress grandma. She foresaw the massacre of our clan and she saved me from sharing that fate. She was the one who sent me forward in time to protect me from Madara."

Sakuya? Kagami had never heard the name before, but she had heard of the abilities of the Seeress before. Maybe it wasn't such a stretch that they could move objects through time when they could discern the flow of time as well. "So she sent you forward in time?" She questioned slowly almost uncertain as the question rolled off her tongue. Sakura nodded her head solemnly to her question. "But then how did you get back?"

"She sent me back after I was wounded in the war. If it had not been for her I would have died." She wished that the woman was alive so that she could properly express her gratitude for all she had done for her. "I was ready to die... The war had taken its toll on all of us..." Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi Sensei's faces flashed across her mind. How they looked before the war, and the way they looked as they died. "Besides my Shishou, everyone I loved had died in the war... I didn't want to keep living in a world where they were gone." Her hand unconsciously ran over the reaper seal on her stomach. "She saved me from not just myself, but from that future. I was given the chance to change everything thanks to her. She died to send me back to this time grandma. She sacrificed herself to ensure that I had the chance to make sure that the world never fell into that state. So you see now why I can't just sit back and let everything fall where it may. I have to be productive in ensuring that the world's future is brighter this time around. So please don't try to protect me from everything. I want you to stand beside me as an equal, as someone I can turn to when I need you." She watched Kagami as she mulled over everything she had told her. It couldn't be easy to digest but her grandma was strong. It was no longer a mystery where she had gotten her determination, and grit from. Whatever she was expecting was tossed out the window when her grandma simply nodded and smirked at her.

"There's that Uzumaki blood Sakura! We never quit even when we want to! That Seeress sure knew how to pick the world's savior huh?" She giggled at the completely stunned look on her granddaughter's face.

"So you don't think I'm lying...? You don't think I'm nuts?" Sakura's voice came out surprisingly shaky from the shock. She didn't expect granny Kagami to react like this! At the best she figured she would have been sent to an insane asylum by her grandma!

"Of course I do! Stranger things have happened in the world of the shinobi Sakura! And it explains why we were never able to find you after you disappeared. God knows that we tried!" She squeezed Sakura's hand to let her know that she truly did believe her. "I'm actually thankful for what she did Sakura. If it wasn't for her, you may have died that day." Her heart ached at the thought of finding Sakura dead that day. She would never have survived if that had happened.

"I know... I'm truly thankful for what she did too... If it wasn't for her I would never have survived long enough to meet you again. And I would never have met Minato, and his team, or Shishou, or my teammates from the future... I wish I could properly thank her..." She smiled and pulled away to rest against the booth seat. "I guess the only way I can express my thanks to her is to make sure that the world never falls to destruction again." Yes that was the only way she could make sure Sakuya's sacrifice was not for nothing. And she would not fail... She looked across the table at her grandma and noticed that she was scowling at something off to the side. Sakura followed her gaze and saw their waiter coming over to their table with their plates. "I hope he doesn't hit on me again..." Sakura groaned under her breath when not even a second after she had uttered that said man had winked at her. 'Where the hell is Minato-kun when you need him?' Inner shouted in irritation. "Sleeping! He just got back from a tough mission Inner! And besides, we don't need to be protected!" Sakura hissed back at her inner spirit as her plate was placed in front of her. She was hoping that he would just leave but...

"So sweetheart you got a boyfriend?" He- who -would- not- take- a- hint winked down at her.

Before Sakura could even get a retort out her grandma had beat her to it. "Yes she does have a boyfriend you little shit! And if he finds out that you were pestering her then he will kick your ass!" Kagami shouted angrily. God she hated using Minato as a means to intimidate men from bothering her Sakura, but damn! She really wanted to sock him in the face! But Sakura would not want to cause a scene unless he really didn't take the hint. And he still seemed to not be getting it!

"Awww all the pretty ones are taken! Well if you ever want a real man sweetheart, you know where to find me!" With that he sauntered off to sexually harass some other poor girl.

"Really? What a man whore!" Sakura huffed and took a bite of her dango. She reached over and pulled the unopened bottle of sake across the table and opened it. She brought the lid of the bottle to her lips and threw her head back and took several large gulps of the bitter liquid. 'Uhhh shouldn't you slow down? Remember what happened last time you got drunk?' Inner scolded gently. Sakura ignored her and placed the bottle down on the table just as he grandma was opening hers. "It's nice to go out for a drink with my granny." Sakura giggled as Kagami mirrored her move from a few seconds ago. Well at least she got the high tolerance for alcohol from somewhere. 'Just don't go crazy Outter...' Inner warned sounding so unlike herself. Hell if she was making any promises! A huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders now that she had started to let her grandma in. If that didn't call for a celebration then what did?

* * *

Green eyes slid open as a groan escaped from her lips. "What the hell happened last night?" Sakura grumbled as she turned over on the hard floor that she was laying on. Was she in Tsunade's place? Her eyes wandered around until they saw the familiar form of her teacher snoring away on the couch. Sake bottles were scattered all over the floor and if the killer headache, and nausea she was feeling were any indication, she had been stone cold wasted last night. With a groan she sat up from the floor and peered around the bright room almost painfully. On the opposite side of the room she saw her grandma passed out against the wall. Through the after effects of her alcohol induced stupor she finally realized albeit very slowly, that she had not returned home last night. That meant that Minato was probably running around trying to find out where she was! Her eyes widened as understanding finally dawned on her. "Shit! He's going to kill me!" She scrambled to straighten her clothes as Inner's smug voice rang out in her head. 'No not kill us... But he might put us on a leash from now on!' She sounded excited at the prospect and any other time Sakura would have scolded her but not today! Cursing her body for being so sluggish due to the leftover alcohol, she stumbled to the front door intent on leaving. Loud banging rang out from against the wood and she jolted back as the sound caused her head to pound.

"Tsunade open up!"

Shit! That was Minato's voice! Oh crap he was going to tie her up and never let her have her freedom again after this! "Shitshitshitshitshit!" Sakura whimpered to herself as she contemplated what to do. 'JUST OPEN THE DOOR! JEEZ OUTTER! YOU'RE A GROWN WOMAN WHO IS CAPABLE OF MAKING HER OWN CHOICES! No matter how stupid they may be...' Inner muttered the last part under her breath but Sakura heard her. "Shut up Inner!" She bit out before she faced the door and calmly opened it, only to slam it shut again at the look on his face.

"SAKURA OPEN THIS DOOR!" Minato shouted as he pounded his fist against the door again. His Sensei shifted nervously behind him affected by his obvious foul mood. He had woken up completely refreshed and well rested, only to discover that Sakura, and Kagami were not present. Now at first he was not worried in the least as they were grown women who could take care of themselves. But after he had run into Jiraiya who had informed him of his girlfriend's drunken escapades with her grandma, and Tsunade he had immediately stormed over to drag her home. But now she had locked the door and would not let him in! "Sakura I will teleport into this house if you don't let me in!" His threat was accompanied by two more bangs on the door. He waited for another moment before he growled and activated his Flying Thunder God technique. A rush of space flew by him and in the blink of an eye he was standing next to Tsunade who was still passed out on the couch. He took in the state of the living room and a frown adorned his face. Sake bottles were everywhere! Just how much did they drink? He moved past the mess and towards the stairs when he heard a creak from the second floor. "Sakura come out here right now!" He called out after he had ascended the stairs. A shrill squeak from the bedroom down the hall had him moving towards the door before the sound had even ended. This door did not have a lock and he threw the door open in time to catch her slide through the open window. "Sakura!" He dashed towards the window and threw himself out of it. A flash of pink disappeared around the corner and he took off after her. He dashed around the corner and flash stepped so that he was right behind her his arms wrapping around her to cage her in.

Damn! Why did she even think she could outrun him like this? She couldn't even take a few steps without stumbling and tripping! 'Appeal to his caring nature!' Inner advised her sounding frantic. She turned her head around slowly and peered up at him with wide eyes. "Is it too late to say I'm sorry?" She whimpered at the glare he was sending her.

He sighed and hefted her up from the ground until she was settled in his arms comfortably. "We'll talk after we get you some medicine for the hangover you must have." He ignored the way she was pouting at him and started walking home. What was with her and making him worry over nothing?

* * *

Sakura watched as her boyfriend brought in a tray with soup, and juice on it. He sat it on the nightstand and handed her some painkillers. She took them and threw them in her mouth washing them down with the juice that he handed her. Her head throbbed but if worse came to worse she could dull the pain with her healing chakra. He was staring at her intently and she wanted to shrink into the blankets. "Are you mad?" She struggled to make her voice loud enough for him to hear.

"No I'm not mad. I was just worried about you Sakura." He took her small hand in his own and squeezed it. "When jiraiya told me that he had seen you, your grandma, and Tsunade out drinking, I was worried. Everyone seems to be out to get you Sakura. And when you are intoxicated you can't defend yourself as well, so whenever you go out drinking I do get worried about you." He traced small patterns on her hands while he spoke. The things that this woman put him through. "Just promise me that you will be careful from now on." He smiled when she pouted at him and nodded. "Good now I should call Kakashi, and Obito and tell them that training is off for today." He stood to leave the room but she stopped him.

"Why cancel training?" She asked gripping his hand to hold him in place. Surely a little hangover was nothing to get worried over.

He turned back to her shaking his head as he did so. "Because I need a day to relax after my mission. And you need someone to make sure that you don't do anything crazy." He smirked when she gaped at him.

Sakura sputtered indignantly for a moment before she scowled at her smirking boyfriend. "I am not going to do anything crazy! If you don't want to train them, then I will!" She threw the covers off of herself and stormed over to the dresser to grab a fresh change of clothes. Being hung over always made her meaner than normal... This was definitely a good day for evasion training.

"Oh? Maybe I'll just watch for today then..." Blue eyes filled with warmth as he watched his Sakura storm around the room in a flurry. She really was too adorable for her own good.

* * *

"SENSEI WHERE IS SAKURA SENSEI?!" Obito yelled impatiently from his seated position next to Rin. How could they train when their designated Sensei for the day was absent? He spared a look at each of his teammates and noted that they looked equally irritated.

"Just be patient Obito. Sakura said that she had a special training exercise for you all today! She probably just needed to gather a few things." Minato pacified his students as best he could. They were eager for some real training so Sakura better hurry up already! He felt her chakra signature approaching a second before she appeared before the group in a flurry of cherry blossom petals.

"YOU'RE LATE!" The three teens chorused together.

"Yeah! Yeah!" Sakura waved them off and hefted the large bag she had brought with her over her shoulder. "Today we will be practicing evasion!" She had to resist the urge to smirk sadistically at the three teens in front of her. Oh how she hated the days that Tsunade would use this very tactic to get her moving.

"What's in the bag Shishou?" Rin asked eyeing the bag slung over Sakura's shoulder wearily. Why was it buzzing?

"Yeah what is in that bag?" Kakashi echoed Rin's question. Why was he getting a really bad feeling about whatever was in that bag?

"Oh these?" Sakura slipped on a pair of gloves and reached into the bag to retrieve a baseball sized fire hornet nest. "These are fire hornet nests!" She smiled cheekily at the horrified looks on the three teens, and Minato's face.

"YOU'RE NUTS!" Obito shouted as he attempted to scramble away from the pink haired menace.

"Oh this isn't even bad! Shishou used these when I first started my evasion training! Later it moved on from these to giant hornets. If you weren't aware they are over two inches long, and are extremely poisonous! A couple stings would put you down for a day at least!" Oh how she loved the way they cowered away from her! "Ready?" She asked eager to get started. She ignored the way the three desperately shook their heads no. "BEGIN!" With that she disappeared a moment before Obito was pelted with a hornet nest.

"AHHHHHHHHH! IT HURTS!' He shrieked as the hornet rushed out from the nest and stung him viciously.

"Obito!" Rin cried barely dodging a next that was aimed for her. She dashed towards her boyfriend with the intent to throw him into the water to stop the vicious attack on him. A kick to her midsection had her sliding back as a barrage of hornet nests flew at her face. She dodged them by ducking and weaving but one struck her in the chest, and the hornets began their vicious assault on her. "SENSEI HELP!" She shrieked at the blonde haired man to come to their aid.

Minato shook his head at Sakura's antics. Another lesson on Sakura, never piss her off when she's hung over! And as his eyes strayed over to Kakashi who was trying to flee from the scene he hoped that his students had gotten the lesson as well. If not... Well they'd just have to learn wouldn't they?

* * *

An hour later found all three teens covered in hornet stings from head to toe. Their skins were swollen and Sakura was currently tending to the inflamed skin. "Wow! You guys did horrible!" She mused cheerfully as she healed Kakashi's swollen face as Rin did Obito's.

Kakashi shot her an incredulous look. "You are nuts! That was the most unorthodox training method I have ever seen! What if one of us was allergic to hornets?" He winced when she finished healing up the rest of his swollen skin.

"Psssh! Who am I Kakashi-kun?" She winked playfully and patted his head before standing up. "I am Konoha's head medical ninja! As if you would be severely harmed by hornet venom!" She waved a hand dismissively.

The teens just sweatdropped at their second Sensei. Lesson learned: Never piss off Sakura Sensei. A quick look at each other was enough for them to tell that each had gotten that lesson permanently imprinted in their minds.

"Good! Now run laps around Konoha until you can't move anymore!" With that she turned away from them ignoring their groans of protest. She looped her arms around Minato's neck and kissed his neck right over his pulse point.

"You know you're crazy right?" He wrapped his arms around her waist when she just hmmm'd to let him know that she didn't argue with that statement. He pulled her face away with his hands and tilted her head back so that he could press his lips against hers. Their lips moved in sync gaining intensity with each second. Desperate for more contact he licked her bottom lip with his tongue until she opened her mouth so that he could slip into her mouth. Just as the kiss was getting even more heated a poof was heard to their right and he pulled away to look at the anbu who stood off to the side.

"Hokage-sama requests both of your presence immediately." With that the tiger masked anbu poofed away to do whatever else he needed to.

"Not even back for a day..." Minato sighed and took a hold of Sakura's hand and began leading her in the direction of the Hokage tower.

* * *

Something was wrong. Sakura could tell the moment she stepped into the Hokage's office and Yamato was present once again, along with Jiraiya. She came to stand next to Minato in front of the Hokage's desk.

"I have called you four here to assign you a very important mission." Hiruzen took a deep puff from his pipe his eyes roaming over the four in front of him. He wished that this could have been prevented. He wished that he had seen the signs sooner. But he had not, and this was the result. "Your four will be going to the land of tea where it has been confirmed that Orochimaru has a base of operations. Your job is to infiltrate the base and kill Orochimaru. Obviously we don't know how heavily guarded the base is, so proceed with caution. Jiraiya is team leader. You are to leave immediately." The three men filed towards the door but Sakura had stayed frozen in front of his desk.

"Why are you sending a young boy on a mission like this?" Sakura stared at the hokage with a hard edge to her gaze. Why? Did he not trust her to control herself? Was he doubting her abilities? God she wished she had not drank last night! She was always irritable and angry at everything! "Do you not trust me to control myself?" She spat out bitterly. Sure she understood the precautions that needed to be taken when she encountered Orochimaru... But why did she always have to rely on others all the time?

"This is not about trust Sakura. This is about your safety." He could understand her anger. It was obvious to him that Sakura's skills were never acknowledged the way they should have been. It probably angered her that she felt that he thought she could not do a mission without Yamato there to control her if she lost control. "Yamato is going in case you do lose control. But it isn't because I doubt your ability to control yourself in the face of an enemy. He is going because I cannot risk anything happening to my Head medical ninja. You are far too valuable alive Sakura. If anything were to happen to you, then the future peace could be threatened. Please do not feel inadequate in comparison to those around you. If anything you are the most important person in this time simply because of your purpose." His eyes locked with her own bright green ones delving into the heart of her anger and dispersing it. He meant what he said. Every single word of it. Her eyes softened and she turned to walk out the door, her team following right behind her. Yes the Seeress chose wisely with Sakura.

* * *

This was a big mission in ensuring the world's future. As she slipped her mission bag over her shoulder she caught her hardened gaze in the mirror. Fierce, and unyielding eyes stared back at her. No there was no way she would fail. Not this time. She turned to Minato who was waiting for her beside their bedroom door. They had informed their team, and her grandma, along with Tsunade about where they were going. Tsunade had wanted to go and settle things but one look at Sakura had been enough for her to know that to Sakura it was even more personal. So she had let them go without another complaint. All the pain he had put her through in her time would be coming out in this encounter. She would be as merciless as he had been. He would know fear when she was done with him. She pushed aside all of her happiness, all of her joy, all of the good memories so that she could focus solely on him. "Are you ready to kick some ass?" She smirked in anticipation. It really had been a long time coming.


	22. Chapter 22

I don't know why was being stupid the other day when I tried to post the new update to this story but it didn't show up for like an entire day! That probably explains why I didn't get a lot of feedback for the last chapter like I normally do. Well that's beside the point! OROCHIMARU IS GOIN DOWN! Yeah finally I'm super pumped to write this chapter! Anyways let's get started! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

* * *

Four pairs of eyes surveyed the rather nondescript looking hideout. It was nothing more than a large wooden house, well at least from an outside perspective. There were no guards patrolling the outside either which was odd.

Sakura was sure that there was an entire underground lair hiding underneath the wooden structure. She noticed Jiraiya turn to her from the corner of her eye and she turned to give him her full attention.

"Do you think that Orochimaru's partner could be here as well?" Jiraiya really hoped that Sasori of the Red Sand was not present as it would just complicate matters more for them. But as Orochimaru was a member of Akatsuki it could not be ruled out until they were sure.

"We shouldn't rule Sasori's presence out until we are absolutely certain. Akatsuki members generally stay close together, but that is not always the case. They do have their own agendas to take care of from time to time. So it is possible that he is not here." He nodded at her once before turning back to Minato to discuss their infiltration plan. She watched them for a moment before her eyes wandered over to the younger version of the Yamato she knew. Her eyes softened when she stared at the young boy that was so similar to the man she had known. How she had missed Yamato after he had passed. Maybe she should make time for the boy when this mission was over. But for now she needed to stay focused, so she turned her attention towards Jiraiya, waiting for him to give the word. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be mulling over what needed to be done. Finally his eyes snapped open and he turned to face the three awaiting shinobi.

"Alright we'll move in and stick together. If we run into any problems and get separated we should not engage Orochimaru unless absolutely necessary. Understood?" The three nodded their heads in acceptance, and he straightened and faced the building once more. "Ok move quick, and quiet! Let's go!" He flash stepped down to the door quickly sliding it open, before he slipped his body in, the others following suit. The layout of the base was odd with multiple stairways leading down multiple different underground corridors. "This will take forever..." Jiraiya mumbled under his breath as he looked over all of the different paths that they could take. Sakura came to stand beside him and his attention was drawn to her.

"In my experiences with Orochimaru he prefered to keep excess corridors, and rooms to confuse his enemies. By the time they found out where he had been, he usually had already made his escape." Sakura eyed each passage critically. It was more than safe to say that there were chakra sensors on every set of stairs, along with every corridor. She pursed her lips and turned to the Sannin. "Maybe you could use Sennin mode to locate him so that we have an idea of where to go?" She mused out loud. Yes that did seem like the best idea even though she knew that Jiraiya would have prefered to not have to use it. If she recalled correctly, Naruto had told her it was most unpleasant being in Sennin mode simply because you could sense every chakra signature, even the trees, and grass. It was quite overwhelming for the user so it was usually reserved for dire cases. And from the look on Jiraiya's face she knew that he was not keen on pulling it out so soon. But what choice did they have?

With a sigh the white haired man sunk to the floor and activated Sennin mode. The chakra rushed into him causing his ears to ring, and overloading his mind with the presence of life. He shifted to get a more comfortable position and stretched his chakra out. Almost immediately his senses locked onto multiple stationary chakra signatures. "Chakra sensors... A lot of them too..." He muttered as he pushed his senses out even farther. It was obvious that the Snake Sannin knew they were coming due to all the precautionary measures that he had taken. But as Jiraiya honed in on the familiar chakra of his old friend he had to wonder why he hadn't just fled if he knew of their imminent arrival. He pushed aside the nagging feeling in his chest and deactivated Sennin mode. "He's down seven floors and thirty meters in this direction." He pointed directly ahead of them. At least it was just Orochimaru, and not Sasori as well. "He's placed chakra sensors all over the floors, and walls so we should proceed carefully. There's no telling what other traps could be down there." Turning on his heel he began his descent down the first flight of stairs, his comrades right behind him.

* * *

Sakura couldn't help but notice how she had been blocked in and surrounded by her male teammates. Even Yamato! She ground her teeth together in annoyance as she stomped down her anger before it could rear its ugly head. She kept her eyes forward on Jiraiya's back as they stepped foot on the second floor down. It was just like all the other bases that she remembered. Plain, nondescript, and with multiple winding corridors to god knows where. Jiraiya may have been able to locate Orochimaru, but he was not able to locate each individual set of stairs due to the overload of pure chakra in the building. So they were on their own for that part. "Typical Orochimaru..." Sakura muttered stepping away from Minato's side to come next to Jiraiya. "I wish I could help you out but Orochimaru is nothing if not unpredictable... Our best bet is to split up and search for the next set of stairs." One look at Jiraiya was enough to let her know that he did not like her idea, but that he knew it was also necessary.

"Alright we'll split into pairs. Keep your radios on so that we can have communication with each other. As soon as you find the stairs radio in and give us your location. Yamato is with Sakura. Minato you're with me." Jiraiya shot his blonde pupil a scathing look when he looked like he might protest. Minato immediately snapped his mouth shut and turned to Sakura while Jiraiya walked away to give his student a moment.

Ocean blue locked with bright green and he ran a hand over her cheek affectionately. "Take this in case something happens." He handed her one of his special three pronged kunai. "So that I can get to you wherever you are." He explained before he leaned down to kiss her hastily before he pulled away to join his Sensei. He couldn't understand why Jiraiya would group them like this! Sure Yamato was the only one who could control Sakura if she lost control but... Sparing one last look over his shoulder at his girlfriend, and the young anbu, he couldn't deny the uneasy feeling he had.

* * *

"Alright are you ready Yamato?" Sakura looked to the boy who had not said a word since the mission had started. Who would have thought that Yamato-taichou was such a quiet kid? Shaking the thought out of her head she started leading him down the corridor being mindful of any traps. They turned right at a four way intersection where the halls crossed and Sakura marked the wall with a slash from her kunai to signal that they had come this way. 'How the hell are we supposed to find anything in this maze?!' Inner groaned in annoyance when after several moments of walking they had come across another four way intersection. Sakura had to agree with her as she slashed at another wall with her kunai when they turned left instead. Hell this was even worse than the base he had kept Sasuke in! The hall dragged on and on without deviating from its path and Sakura growled low in her throat when it ended in a dead end. "The hell?!" She growled and turned away from the wall. Ok so maybe splitting up wasn't such a good idea because they were still getting nowhere! She jolted slightly when Yamato spoke up in his quiet voice.

"This looks different then the other chakra sensors..." He mused quietly while he inspected the seal. It was not something that he had seen before and he looked up to his teammate to see her eyeing it wearily. She pulled him away by his shoulder hastily.

"Be careful Yamato! Who knows what that thing could do?!" She scolded the young boy while she continued studying the seal on the wall. Her eyes widened when the seal started glowing faintly with light blue chakra. "Yamato get back!" She shouted and shoved the boy away a second before the floor disappeared beneath her and a vortex sucked her down the hole. A shrill scream passed her lips from the shock and the last thing she saw before being sucked into the darkness was Yamato's startled face.

* * *

"Nothing... Not a damn thing!" Jiraiya cursed when they searched another endless corridor. they had been searching for over a half an hour and he was starting to think that there weren't any stairways at all!

"There has to be something that we missed Sensei. how would he be getting around this base otherwise?" There was a trick to this Minato was sure of it. As he walked up to another chakra sensor his eyes lit up. "That's it! He's using these as a teleportation gate! That's how he gets around!" He turned and smiled victoriously at his Sensei. They didn't call him a genius for nothing! Jiraiya opened his mouth to respond to him when their radios cut in cutting him off before he could speak.

"Come in! This is Yamato!" Yamato's voice came out over the speaker. His voice sounded strained and it put the two men on high alert.

"Yamato what's happened? Are you, and Sakura alright?" Jiraiya pressed a hand to his earpiece and spoke hurriedly into the device.

"Sakura's gone! She was sucked into the floor when one of these seals were activated!"

Jiraiya cursed loudly at the new development. "Minato try jumping to her." He ordered his student who looked like he was about to regardless.

Minato activated his Flying Thunder God Technique and waited for the rush of space to fly past him. But it never happened. "What the hell?! It didn't do anything!" Why the hell wasn't it working? This technique had never failed him once since he had invented it! So why now?

"What do you mean it won't do anything?! That technique has never failed!" Jiraiya came to stand next to his shaking student. How? How could Minato's Thunder God tecnhique not be working? His onyx eyes wandered to the walls where the seals that Minato had theorized were Orochimaru's way of conversing the compound. That was it! "Damn Orochimaru! He put up all of these seals to interfere with your Thunder God technique! Take a look at them! They are almost exactly like your own seals on your kunai!" He cursed again and pressed a hand to his mic. "Yamato stay where you are, we're coming to find you!" He cut off communication and came up behind his student to press a hand to his shoulder. "Relax Minato. Sakura is strong, she'll make it until we find her." He moved down the corridor at a hurried pace.

"Sakura wait for us please!" With another glance at one of the accursed seals he took off after his Sensei. If Orochimaru touched one hair on Sakura's head he would be sorry.

* * *

A groan escaped Sakura's lips as she brought her hands to her face to rub the blurriness from her vision. "What the hell happened to me?" She sat up and peered around the darkness surrounding her. Her hazy thoughts straightened out and she recalled pushing Yamato away from the seal before she was sucked into the darkness. 'So basically we're trapped in the dark with Orochimaru the king of creeps! Who can conveniently see better in the dark than we can... GREAT!' Inner fumed her fists clenching together. Inner was right about that so she got up and pressed her back to the wall as she reached into her pouch to pull out her small flashlight. She flipped it on and shined the light around the dark space until it settled on bars covered in strange wards of some kind. "What the...?" She moved forward and reached out a hand to touch the bars, only to jump back when a painful shock raced up her arm from the contact. "Damn! What the hell have I gotten myself into?!" She cursed and stepped away from the bars. A dark chuckle drew her attention to the space outside her cage that had just been illuminated. Orochimaru stepped from the shadows and came to stand right in front of the bars that held her in.

"Such poor language for such a beautiful girl..." He ran his tongue over his nose, taking pleasure in the way the woman glared at him in disgust. "You were asleep for quite a while. I was actually starting to get worried about you..." Amusement laced his every fiber at the defiant glare she sent him.

"You worried? Please! You should be worried about yourself because when I get out of here I'm going to kill you!" Sakura growled low in her throat. If only these bars weren't in her way... He chuckled darkly at her and it made her anger spike even more.

"Oh I don't think so Sa-ku-ra... You see these seals are specially made." He gestured to the wards on the bars of her cell. "They drain chakra without even requiring physical contact. And quite rapidly too!" He smirked as realization dawned on her and her eyes widened.

"What... What are you planning to do with me?" She gasped out as the energy was being drained from her more noticeably now. Damn! How could she have been so stupid?! Now she was going to be needing to be rescued once again!

"What do I want? Well I want you of course!" He paced along the bars casting her sidelong glances as he did so. "You have a special ability that I want for myself. And before you ask no, it is not your ability to control the tailed beasts although that is a nice bonus." He faced her fully once more, his hands reaching out towards her. "No I want you for your longevity Sakura. I want you for the fact that you are an Uzumaki, and thus have a strengthened life force. Everything else is just a simple added bonus." A smile crossed his lips when she wheezed and dropped to the floor. "Poor thing! These seals are quite painful to be subjected to aren't they? And they're even sucking out the Nine Tail's chakra so that you can't call on it!"

No... No... She had to do something! What could she do? Her chakra was almost completely eaten away! "Stay calm... Try Kurama's chakra..." She grunted and tried to call on Kurama's chakra but he groaned from deep in her mind.

"Kit that really hurts right now..." Kurama grunted in pain until she finally stopped.

Even Kurama was in agony! Her lungs shook and she felt like she was being suffocated from the pressure. Chakra exhaustion was never a good experience, hell minor exhaustion was still painful. But this was like being suffocated, dizzy, exhausted, and beaten all at the same time! Why hadn't Minato come?! No! She wasn't thinking clearly! He would be no better off than she was if he were here!

"Try pushing a little chakra into the kunai he gave you! That should at least let him know where you are!" Kurama suggested sounding quite weak.

"That could work..." She panted out and rolled over so that she was facing away from Orochimaru. She had hidden the three pronged Kunai in her sleeve for easier access so she reached in and pulled it out. "Please work!" She grunted and pushed a the remnants of her chakra into the kunai. She just hoped that he would feel it.

* * *

Minato froze in his tracks when one of his kunai started to vibrate inside of his kunai pouch. He held up a hand to signal for Jiraiya, and Yamato to stop while he whipped the kunai out of his pouch. "Sakura..." He gripped the kunai more firmly when he sensed her chakra calling out to him. His Sensei came to stand before him peering at the kunai curiously.

"Minato? What is it?" Jiraiya eyes widened when he felt the chakra pulsating from the kunai. "Minato try using your Thunder God technique! Use Sakura's chakra as a link between you two!" He pulled Yamato closer and grabbed a hold of his student's arm a second before Minato did just that. Space flew by them in a whirl of colors and in a millisecond they were standing in a cell where Sakura was hunched over onto the ground.

"SAKURA!" Minato rushed over to the fallen pinkette and pulled her into his arms. She was sweating profusely, and appeared to be in a great deal of pain. "Sakura what happened?! Are you hurt?!" His hands roamed over her body for any sign of injury.

"Idiot... Now you're trapped too... You shouldn't have teleported to me... Now how are you going to get out?" Sakura panted out her vision blurring slightly. She could barely make out the outline of Yamato behind Minato, and Jiraiya was simply a blur in the background.

Seeing Sakura in such a state was too much for him to handle. She looked like she would easily break and it made his body swell with rage. He turned to glare harshly at the man standing just out of reach. "You bastard! I'm going to kill you for hurting her!" He gently placed Sakura onto the ground as he stood to face Orochimaru. His eyes quickly took in their surroundings and noted that there were no seals present in the room. Maybe he could use the Thunder God technique in here. "Only one way to find out!" He whipped out several of his special kunai and threw them between the gaps in the bars. He grabbed a hold of Sakura while Yamato, and Jiraiya placed a hand on each arm, before he activated the Thunder God Technique. He relished in the familiar feeling flying through space before he landed on the ground opposite of Orochimaru.

"Hmm... Maybe I should have placed seals here as well... I just didn't figure your girlfriend to be the weak type..." Orochimaru smirked at the harsh glare from Sakura.

Sakura slipped a hand into her medical pouch and retrieved several chakra pills and popped them into her mouth. It didn't fill her reserves up all the way but it would have to suffice. Besides... Kurama's chakra replenished faster than any of the other tailed beasts so it was probably safe to say that she could rely on it if need be. "We have a score to settle Orochimaru." She stepped forward ignoring the warning looks Minato was giving her. Her hands retrieved her gloves from her pouch and she slipped them onto her fingers. "That is... If you aren't too scared of little Ole weak Sakura." She taunted and charged him summoning Kurama's chakra into her hands. Her fist connected with the ground where he had been standing and it exploded from the brute force it had been struck with. She smirked at the Snake Sannin who had body flickered over to the side. Thank god she had realized early on in being Kurama's jinchuuriki, that she could substitute her chakra for his with her chakra enhanced blows. The ground had exploded and not a piece was left intact in the large room. 'Hey this place looks kinda like the room where the Chunin exams took place...' Inner mused. 'Oh sorry! You were trying to kill someone! Well have at it CHA!' Too bad she could use her monster strength like she wanted to because the roof could cave in on them... "Well how about we try out that new chakra blade?" She muttered under her breath, her hands coming up to form the proper hand signs. Bright green chakra coated her nails, and sprung from her wrists like twin blades. 'We should think of a cool name for this jutsu after we kill Orochimaru with it!' Sakura frowned at Inner and pumped chakra into her feet as she disappeared into a storm of cherry blossoms.

He didn't want her to fight after he had found her that way... But he knew that Sakura would not forgive him if he did not let her settle things herself. This was revenge, and he had no right to interfere. So he would watch and wait until she needed him, or succeeded in her fight. After all that was what ninja did for their comrades.

"Chakra scalpels huh? I don't think I've even seen Tsunade use them like that! Wow Sakura has phenomenal chakra control!" Jiraiya mused as he watched Sakura charge towards Orochimaru.

Sending chakra to her feet she was able to flash step in front of Orochimaru in half a second, her fists raised and chakra scalpels poised. She thrusted her palm out the sharp points encasing her nails sliced thin air as he substituted and appeared behind her. She heard the ping of his snake sword emerging from his throat and she spun to pary his blade with the chakra blade on her wrist. "No way are you going to catch me with that!" She grunted and shoved him back, slicing him across the face with her other wrist. A dark red slash spurted open raining blood down onto the floor. Not giving him time to recover she sprang forward her hands nearly indistinguishable as she struck out at him with blinding speed. He parried most of her attacks and side stepped, his sword swinging out at her midsection. She twisted and spun around her chakra momentarily separating so that she could form hand signs. "Ninja art paralytic strike!" She called out and focused chakra into her hands once more, striking out at Orochimaru's exposed back. His body snapped forward and collided rather harshly with the floor his sword embedding itself into it.

"What did you do?" Orochimaru grunted as he tried to move his right arm to prop himself up, but instead his left knee moved. Maybe he had underestimated the girl after all.

"Oh that?" Sakura dusted her hands off and came to loom over the downed man. "It's quite simple! I turned my chakra into an electric charge and fried your nervous system with it! Nothing is working right is it?" She looked on in sick amusement. He had underestimated her and he would not live to tell of it. Gathering chakra into her foot and placed it on the small of his back and pressed down crushing his body like a pancake. Something was off about the way his body felt under her chakra enhanced strength. Her eyes widened when not even a half a second later he exploded in a shower of poisonous snakes. She threw herself back out of their reach and reclaimed a defensive stance on the floor. She huffed as her eyes ran over the room from wall to wall. So he wanted to hide? Tch well chakra sensory wasn't her field but if he was in the room she would find him. Closing her eyes she pushed her chakra out and it collided with her teammates who were standing off to the side, before it finally came to rest on Orochimaru's dark signature as he moved towards her from underground. She smirked and gathered a small amount of chakra into her fist, pulling her fist back she snapped it into the ground shattering it once more. Dust, and debris flew into the air along with Orochimaru as he escaped the destruction she had caused. Blood was dripping from his lip and he was glaring at her. "What's wrong Orochimaru? Angry that a girl is getting the best of you?" She smirked and took a step forward. "My how the tides can change!" She sauntered towards him her hands coming up and forming hand signs as she walked.

"Yes how the tides can change! That means you shouldn't get all cocky before it's over Sa-ku-ra!" He dashed forward and swung his arm out, snakes emerging from his sleeve and heading straight for the kunoichi standing before him.

"DAMN SNAKES!" Sakura cursed as she summoned chakra into her hands to form her chakra blades again. She flash stepped forward and sliced at the first wave of snakes dispatching them quickly. They fell to pieces around her and within a second another wave was upon her. She lashed out slicing, and jabbing at each one before one managed to bypass her hands and latch onto her arm with its fangs. "DAMN!" She ripped it from her arm and jumped back her hand immediately retrieving a vial of all purpose antivenom, shoving the tip into her leg and releasing it into her bloodstream. It would not completely stop the venom from affecting her, but it would slow the effects and buy her some time. And that was what she needed most.

Orochimaru frowned at the persistent kunoichi. "Well aren't you quite prepared?" He mused in an almost sickly interested way.

"You have to be when dealing with a pathetic snake like you." Sakura stated matter of factly as she fell into an offensive stance. She surged forward her hands rapidly creating hand signs for another jutsu. "Fire style: Burst flare bomb!" Inhaling a deep breath she shot a spiral of intense fire from her mouth. It tore through the rubble and debris and engulfed the Snake Sannin it its intense flames. No normal substitution would help him and that's what she was banking on. Sasuke once said that the special substitution that he, and Orochimaru used was very draining on their chakra reserves. So if she could force him to use it consistently then she would have an edge, especially seeing as how she had Kurama's chakra at her disposal if she ran out. The smoke and fire subsided and all that remained was Orochimaru's charred corpse. Well it was just a charred corpse until the back split open and his arms emerged first, followed by his head, and the rest of him. He was grimacing with the exertion it took to execute the jutsu twice in quick succession. "What's the matter? Feeling tired?" She mocked getting enjoyment from his somber expression. Oh yes he had bitten off more than he could chew this time. She formed hand signs and slammed her hand down on the ground. "Earth style: Earth spike storm!" Spirals of rock shot from the earth and rained down on him, causing him to hastily begin dodging them. One caught his arm and impaled it completely, it slowed him down enough for several more spikes to impact his body. She watched him wearily, and just as expected he substituted again. Only this time he was panting heavily from the effort. His eyes shot around the room and she knew that he was planning on running. She crossed the distance between them and struck out at his chest with her medical chakra, severing the cardiac muscle completely. He slumped down in front of her and blood spewed from his mouth. "For all the pain you caused! For all the pain you would cause if you were allowed to live!" She struck out with her chakra scalpels disabling his arms and legs so that he could not move. He flopped to the ground and stared up at her while his body flopped as he drowned on his own blood.

He could not believe that it would end like this! Who would have thought that a young kunoichi could beat him of all people?! And right when he was so close to creating his immortality jutsu. "Such a waste of valuable test subjects... All their deaths in vain..." He coughed up blood when her foot came to rest on his throat. She was glaring down at him so fiercely that he would have found it amusing if he wasn't drowning to death beneath her.

"No what a waste of a life you were!" With that she forced her foot down crushing his trachea, and snapping his neck. His body squirmed and flopped for a moment before it finally stilled and he slumped to the ground finally dead. She did not move, just continued to stare down at him until a hand came to rest on her shoulder. Minato was beside her his face full of worry for her. She removed her foot from Orochimaru's neck and turned to face him.

He ran his eyes over his kunoichi. She had sustained several small injured in the battle, but there was nothing to worry about, except for the snake venom. "You were incredible Sakura." He told her truthfully. Really, seeing her battle so fiercely was awe inspiring to him. She was vicious, and unrelenting, what every ninja should be. She huffed and bopped him over the head.

"Of course I am! I'm Sakura Haruno successor of Tsunade Senju!" She lifted her head in mock arrogance. Nothing could kill her sense of pride, and accomplishment right now! She had single handedly defeated Orochimaru. 'CHA! Take that Snake man!' Inner shouted viciously. Now Sasuke was safe from leaving the village in the future! She wanted to jump for joy right now! Of course that wouldn't look professional right now, so she settled for smirking in accomplishment. Minato shook his head at her before his expression became worried again.

"What about that poison? Shouldn't we get you back to Konoha right away?" He gestured down at the pin prick like marks on her arm. She glanced down at her arm and shrugged sheepishly.

"Well yeah we probably should... I mean that was a black mamba after all... They are one of the world's most venemous snakes..." She scratched the back of her head and shuffled her feet when he slapped his forehead.

"Only you Sakura..." He muttered before he raised his head to take in his other teammates. "You guys wanna take care of the body?" He gestured to the mutilated corpse that was all that Sakura had left of the once powerful Snake Sannin.

"Oh? And how do you suppose we get out of here? If you remember correctly, there aren't any stairs Minato! And you can't jump from here because of all the time/space seals interfering with your seals!" Jiraiya smirked at his student. Ahh Minato! When he was around the pinkette his brain just didn't seem to work right...

"Easy! I'll just break through the floors!" Sakura strutted over to the wall and jumped up smashing a hole through the floor. Debris rained down on her and she waited for the dust to settle. Looking over her shoulder she giggled at Minato who was glaring at her.

"Sakura be careful! What if the roof collapses?" Minato chastised her before he tore a kunai from his holster. He focused in on the seal and tried to locate Tsunade's chakra. Maybe if he concentrated hard enough he could use her signature like he had used Sakura's. "Just give me a moment Sakura. If this doesn't work then I promise you that you can go ape on the roof." He muttered to the pinkette who had come to stand next to him. All his seals were linked together by his chakra but with the interference from all the other seals he could not activate them. So when he could not feel Tsunade's chakra at all he groaned in defeat. "It's no use... I can't pinpoint her chakra because she's not pushing it into the kunai... So therefore, I cannot jump to her." He cursed the seals above him for disarming him so.

"Why don't you try using Orochimau's seals? They do look like they have a similar formula... Maybe you could find the one closest to the entrance and jump to it?" Sakura suggested helpfully. Sure she had wanted to knock all the floors out to get to the surface but... She could feel the venom spreading through her system, its effects numbing her body slightly. All purpose antivenom could only go so far. She was startled when Minato suddenly slammed his fist into his palm.

"Great idea Sakura! There's a seal in the cell you were being held in! Let me see if I can connect my chakra to it so that I can use it!" He streaked past her and into the cell where the mark was glowing faintly on the wall. He pressed his hand to it and concentrated on discerning a pathway for them to take. It was slow and tedious as he tried to discern which seals had traps laced in them, but eventually he had pinpointed a path for them to take to the top floor. "Hey guys!" He called out catching the group's attention. They all came to stand next to him, Jiraiya had Orochimaru's body slung over his shoulder. His eyes came to rest on Sakura's pale face, and he could see sweat dripping down her forehead. "Sakura are you-? Never mind that;s not a good question!" He pulled her closer to him. "I found a way out! Everyone just grab a hold of me and we'll be out in a flash!" He pulled Sakura tighter against him as Yamato, and Jiraiya each placed a hand on his shoulders. He activated his Flying Thunder God technique and the familiar rush of space and time flew by at blinding speed. In a blink of an eye they were standing at the top of the first set of stairs they had run into on their descent into the base.

"Minato my boy you are a genius!" Jiraiya patted his prized pupil on the back. He couldn't help but notice that Minato did not smile at him like he normally would. The reason was obvious when Jiraiya looked down at Sakura. She was pouring sweat, and her skin was deathly pale. "Get her back quickly! We'll see you in a few hours!" Jiraiya nodded at the grateful look his student gave him before he rushed out of the doors with Sakura cradled in his arms. "Lucky brats..." He chuckled to himself before he faced Yamato. "Come on kid! We need to get back to Konoha sometime tonight!"

* * *

He was barely even half a foot outside the door before the space flew by them again. In a flash of light he was standing in front of a startled Tsunade. She opened her mouth to belittle him for scaring the shit out of her but a look at the pinkette in his arms was enough to make her freeze.

"What the hell happened this time?! Reckless girl!" Tsunade growled as she stormed up to the Namikaze brat. She snapped her fingers in his face to draw his attention back to her.

He looked down at Sakura almost helplessly. "She was bitten by one of Orochimaru's black mambas..." Tsunade paled at his words and cursed at him.

"Get us to the hospital right away!" She latched onto him and almost gagged at the dizzying blur of colors that accompanied the Flying Thunder God technique. She stumbled when they landed in the hospital lobby before she righted herself and pushed Minato down the hallway towards the emergency room. "Get her dressed in this while I get her some antivenom for the venom!" She thrusted a hospital gown at him as she ran out the door to fetch the required antivenom to treat Sakura. It just had to be a black mamba... And Orochimaru always experimented on his snakes so that their venom was more potent! She had a feeling that she was going to need to extract the venom manually. She reached the refrigeration room and scanned the cold storage for the correct antivenom. "There!" She snatched the small vial in her hand and turned and ran down the hall. She burst back into the room to see that Minato had done as she had requested by changing Sakura. "Kid I'm going to need your help!" She looked over at the blonde who nodded. "Ok I'm going to extract the venom with my mystic palm technique. When I am doing this I need you to hold Sakura down so that she doesn't move! I would have the nurses do it but I know they won't be strong enough to handle her." Sitting the vial down on the table she turned to fetch a basin from the cupboard. She grabbed several vials from the glass cabinet and began measuring them and pouring them into the basin. "It's a good thing that snakes don't produce a lot of venom... We should only have to do this a couple times..." She finished stirring the mixture and brought it to rest on the table next to Sakura's bed. Nodding once as a sign for him to go ahead and hold her down, she placed her hand into the solution, drawing it into a bubble while Minato did as she commanded. "Ok hold her absolutely still." Tsunade brought the green bubble of liquid to the open Snake bite on Sakura's arm and pushed it in. The result was almost instantaneous. Sakura's eyes shot wide open while her body jerked violently as she screamed. "HOLD HER STILL!" Tsunade roared as she poured more of her chakra into Sakura's blood and tissue, drawing the venom into the solution.

Minato pressed down on Sakura's body more heavily ensuring that she could not move at all. His eyes were trained on her face as she writhed and cried out from the pain. For a brief moment their eyes met and he smiled as reassuringly as he could at her. "It'll be ok Sakura. Tsunade is going to make sure you're well." Her eyes were glazed over in agony, and he had to wonder what in the world Orochimaru had done to his damn snakes! He turned away from Sakura when her eyes squeezed shut and she refused to open them again. He rested all of his attention on Tsunade when she pulled her hand away from Sakura's skin, a faint milky substance filling the solution. "Is that the venom?" He eyed the yellowish substance critically.

"Yes this is it!" Tsunade huffed in concentration as she drew all that she could out with this pass. She turned and released the bubble into the basin before she rushed to refill it again. It was going to be a long procedure with how much venom the snake had actually injected Sakura with.

* * *

Over an hour later found Sakura sleeping peacefully, while her two companions sighed with relief. Minato turned to Tsunade who was panting tiredly from the exhausting procedure. "Will she be alright then?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes she'll be fine. The antivenom is being administered through the IV, so all remaining traces should be nullified. But she still needs to stay overnight so that we can monitor her." She nodded to Minato before she made her way to the door. "I'll let her grandma know on my way home." With that she was gone like she had never been there.

His eyes softened when they came to rest on Sakura's sleeping form. He sat in a chair next to her bed and pulled her hand into his. "That was tough but you soldiered through it... What else can I expect from you though?" He brought the back of her hand to his mouth and kissed it. He would stay by her until she woke. Because that's what men did for the woman they loved.

* * *

The first thing her mind registered was a dull pounding in her head that made her wince. She remembered the fight with Orochimaru and she couldn't help but feel immense joy as she remembered his death. If only she weren't feeling so awful physically right now... Her eyes cracked open and a flash of bright blonde immediately filled her eyes. Minato. Her eyes softened at the blonde who was sleeping slouched over her stomach. 'Cha! Minato-kun is so cute!' Inner swooned with hearts in her eyes. Sakura giggled under her breath and brought her other hand to run through his hair. "Minato wake up." She tugged on his hair when he didn't move to respond to her at all. Instantly he had bolted up and his eyes were shooting around the room frantically before they came to settle on her.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?" He gripped Sakura's hand more firmly in his. He was ecstatic to see her awake already.

"I'm fine. I just have a nasty headache, and I feel a little sluggish but... In hindsight I guess that's to be expected." She struggled to sit up until he moved to help her prop herself up against the pillows. "Damn dead Orochimaru! Damn his snakes for being mutated freaks like their master!" She huffed but inside she was celebrating. Nothing could make her feel anything less than amazing right now! One down and three more to go for sure! Give or take a few... Her head shot up when she heard a familiar voice barreling down the hallway. A second later her door was thrust open and there stood her grandma in all her glory.

"Sakura! I was so worried about you!" Kagami cried and threw herself at the bedridden pinkette. Honestly she had wanted to come stay the night but Tsunade had told her that Sakura needed rest and she trusted her judgement. It almost killed her to have to wait until morning though! So she did what any grandparent would do! She immediately began coddling her, and asking if she was ok. "Are you feeling alright? Do you want me to get you anything? Do you want me to beat Minato up for your own amusement? Are you hungry? Are you-!" Sakura slapped a hand over her grandma's mouth to stop the influx of questions.

Chancing a glance over her grandma's shoulder she could see Minato scowling slightly at her grandma. He quickly caught her gaze and smiled at her brightly. Ahh yes nothing could even touch her good mood today. One phase of her grand plan taken care of! She had finally taken her first real step! And nothing could bring her down! Not even the loveable idiots that she loved.

I hope you guys liked this chapter! I don't know about my fighting scenes... I don't really write a lot of them... Let me hear some good feedback from you guys please! Until next time!


	23. Chapter 23

Alright here's another update for you guys! Before I start though I want to ask all of you for an opinion on something for the story. As of right now I am undecided about whether or not Naruto will actually become the new jinchuuriki as I do not currently plan on making a sequel to this story. Sakura is set on it, but I could always make Minato be a jerk and stop her. So I want you all to tell me in your reviews what you think! Well on with the story! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! This is mostly a filler chapter so there's nothing important going on really. Just establishing some new relationships for Sakura.

* * *

Viridian eyes scanned over the three teens standing at the opposite end of the field. Their eyes were trained intently on Minato as he congratulated them on how well they had done in training today. She couldn't help but feel like a third wheel sitting all the way over here. But after her venom scare a few days ago, Minato had pleaded with her to relax for a few days to recover. So she being the totally pliant girlfriend she is agreed. She still accompanied him to the training grounds everyday to watch him train their team though. Nothing he said could stop her from doing that. Her ears picked up the sound of crunching grass a second before a shadow loomed over her. Bright green eyes looked up and locked with ocean blue making a warm shiver run down her spine. "Hey you finished already?" She stood and dusted her black shorts off with her hands. After she finished brushing the remaining blades of grass from her shorts she moved closer to him and ran her hands through his unruly blonde spikes. His arms snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against him. She felt him lean down and bury his face in her hair inhaling the scent of strawberries. Their relationship had become so strong so fast. It was almost like a whirlwind of emotions flashing by too fast to handle. She wouldn't complain though... She had found the true love of her life here. That much she knew was certain. He released her much sooner then she was expecting, and she turned curious eyes up to regard him.

"Let's go get something to eat for lunch." His blue eyes warmed as he stared down at Sakura. She nodded excitedly and he took her hand in his and dragged her towards Ichiraku.

* * *

"You'll be able to go back to the hospital in two days right?" He eyed her curiously while she mulled over the menu. Honestly he did not want her overworking herself when she had to worry about Danzo, and Akatsuki. But with Sakura you never could tell her to slow down. She snapped her menu shut and swiveled in her stool so that she was in his face.

"Yup! But Tsunade wants me to cut back on hospital shifts for a few weeks. She said something about working too hard, and not making any friends..." Sakura huffed when her boyfriend's face lit up in excitement. Why was he so happy that she was being mocked? "What is so amusing about the situation Minato?" She elbowed him in the ribs lightly to drive her less than happy mood across.

"Hey!" He rubbed the spot where she had shoved her elbow into his ribs. She was glaring at him now thoroughly unamused with him at this point. He sighed just as Teuchi came up to take their orders.

"What can I get you two?"

Sakura ordered the miso ramen, while Minato ordered the beef ramen. While they waited for Teuchi to bring their meals out Sakura turned back to Minato expectantly. "Well?" Her arms crossed over her chest while he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Well I was thinking that you should take more time for yourself Sakura." He turned in his seat and leaned on his elbow that he had propped against the counter. "You're always working insane hours! Not to mention that you go out on dangerous missions whenever you aren't in the hospital." He placed a hand on hers and intertwined their fingers.

"It's my job as head medic to work long hours at the hospital Minato. It's just part of the job!" Sakura shrugged her shoulders disinterestedly. What was the big deal with her crazy workload? It was nothing compared to what she had been subjected to during the war. Hell twenty four hour shifts were a common occurence! Her body was nothing if not conditioned to go long periods without sleep, or rest. Her shoulders slumped slightly at the memories but she pushed them aside for later.

He scowled at her, his brows furrowing slightly as he watched her sullen demeanor. She was obviously remembering less than pleasant things from the intense pain that shined in the green of her eyes. But as always, she shook her head and did her best to shove it into another part of her mind where she wouldn't have to think about it. What could he do to get her more integrated into the society here? Sure she was admired for her work, and respected by fellow ninja, but she had not made real friends yet. And if life had taught him anything, it was that friendship was important. His eyes lit up and he had to struggled not to give away what he was thinking to the other occupants of the restaurant. How had he forgotten that tonight was the night when all of his friends would bring their girlfriends, and or wives to the local bar for a get together! He had always been far too busy to take her before, but he had no missions for another few days. Why not take advantage? He pulled away and grabbed a pair of chopsticks as Teuchi sat their bowls of ramen in front of them. "Sakura how would you feel about going with me to a little get together tonight?" He asked after he slurped down a bite of his ramen.

She froze in taking a bite of her ramen and turned to face him. "A get together? What kind?" Nervousness shot through her at his suggestion. She had never been good around people really even as a child. They tended to shy away from her nasty temper, and outspoken demeanor. She was just socially awkward... Always had been...

Well no one could say that Sakura was a social butterfly that was for sure. What with the way she was cowering at the suggestion of going to meet people. It was kind of cute. He chuckled and turned to face her more fully. "Every other Friday my friends and I get together at the local bar. They usually bring their wives, and girlfriends with them and we all drink and have fun. Nothing too big. We haven't been able to go lately though because everyone has been busy with missions and work. So I figured since it's on for tonight it would be a good chance for you guys to get to know each other." He placed a hand on the small of her back to comfort her.

He wanted her to meet his friends? What would they think of her? Her hair was pink for gods sakes! Before she even realized it she was shaking her head no. "I can't Minato... I've never been really good with people. I either am too shy to talk, or I lose my temper and maul someone..." She sighed and banged her head on the counter. 'Cha! Stop being so critical of yourself all the time! Just go out with Minato and meet his friends already! They'll love you!' Inner gave her a thumbs up and receded back into her mind. She couldn't just do that! Why did she have to be so indecisive all of the time?! She raised her head and repeatedly slammed it into the counter causing it to shake with each impact. She did this several times before a large hand finally caught her head before it made contact with the counter again.

"Stop doing that!" He scolded her while he pulled her to sit upright. Who knew something so trivial could make Sakura a wreck like this? All the more reason to help her get over her issues. He pulled her so that she was facing him and placed a hand on her cheek as he stared her right in the eye. "I want all my friends to see the woman I love. I want them to meet you. So please don't be scared or embarrassed Sakura." Her head bowed forward forcing him to drop his hand to his side.

"You really mean that?" She asked looking at him with eyes full of hope. 'Cha! I told you you should just go!' Inner fist pumped feeling extremely proud of herself. She still wasn't really sure about it but... If it was what Minato wanted then she could at least try. "Ok I will go... But if I knock somebody out it's your fault!" She pointed a warning finger in his smirking face.

"Oh I am all too prepared to take responsibility Sakura!" He chuckled and turned back to his ramen. He had a feeling that she would get on just fine with Tsume, Rie, Yoshino, Chiyako, and Mikoto...

* * *

Two hours later found Sakura standing in front of the bathroom mirror looking herself over. She was wearing a long sleeve red off the shoulder shirt, with a black skirt that ended two inches before her knees, with a pair of black ankle boots with the toes showing. (Like ankle boots crossed with ninja sandals) She had very light mascara, and eyeliner adorning her eyes. She never was one for heavy makeup... Her hair was what she was having a problem with right now... It was down to her knees! She was seriously considering getting it cut! Fisting the pink mane in her hands she pouted out her lips and huffed at the snarls near the end. These would take her all day to brush out! "Minato? Can you come here for a minute?" She called out knowing that he would hear her. A second later the door to the bathroom opened and there stood Minato gaping at her. "Pick your jaw up off the floor and help me with this mop!" She huffed and shoved the brush into his hands. He moved to stand behind her and started running the brush from her crown to the ends of her massive mane of hair. His strokes were long and slow and she almost wanted to fall asleep. Her eyes became lidded and she smiled in relaxation. "Thank god you were here to do this for me! I was about to just chop it all off for a moment there!" She giggled when he fumbled with the brush for a moment.

"Why would you do that? Your hair is beautiful." He gently yanked the brush through yet another snarl before he repeated the process again. He did this several more time until her hair was snarl free. He stepped back and sat the brush on the counter while he watched her.

"Yeah it's so beautiful... It's fucking pink Minato! Who has pink hair besides me in the world?" She looked at him from the corner of her eye while she started putting her hair into a high ponytail. After she fastened the band to hold her hair in place she twirled in front of the mirror once to check everything over.

"That's what makes it so special Sakura. And besides I have a fetish for odd colored hair!" Minato eyed her from head to toe while she finished her hair. The shirt clung to her chest just right and accentuated her large chest perfectly, while her skirt clung to her hips extenuating her toned thighs and legs. She looked...amazing and he wasn't just saying it because she was his girlfriend. He hadn't realized that he was staring at her until she waved her hand in his face to snap him out of it. "Oh sorry! Are you ready to go?" He held out his hand and she took it, nodding her head as she did so.

* * *

He led Sakura through the throng of people inside of Shirai's bar all the way to the table where his friends were sitting. "Hi guys!" He waved to Inochi, Chouza, Shikaku, and Fugaku, and their respective others. They all returned his wave and looked at Sakura curiously.

"Well who is this beautiful lady Minato?" Mikoto smiled at the blushing kunoichi standing beside her childhood friend. Sure she was Kushina's friend but she had made her choice so Minato had the right to move on. So she could be nothing but happy for her friend.

"Guys this is my girlfriend Sakura." He wrapped an arm around the blushing woman's shoulders. As expected Inochi whistled and roved his eyes over Sakura from head to toe earning him a smack in the head from his fiance Rie. The brunette woman scowled at her soon to be husband and turned apologetic eyes to Sakura.

"Sorry for my fiance's rude behavior. My name is Rie, and this is Inochi. We're very pleased to meet you Sakura." The red eyed woman nodded once in Sakura's direction and resumed scolding Inochi.

Sakura merely nodded at the couple that had been like second parents to her in the other time. It was good to see them again even if it caused her heart to ache. She recognized everyone actually but she couldn't tell them that. So she just waited for the introductions to get underway so they could be done faster. Her eyes wandered over to Shikamaru's parents when his mother started speaking to her.

"My name is Yoshino Nara, and this is my husband Shikaku." The woman with dark brown hair tied into a low ponytail nodded to her husband who looked like he was about to fall asleep. Typical Nara behavior...

"I'm Tsume Inuzuka, and this is my husband Kato." The brunette with short spikey hair and red markings on her cheeks slapped her drooling husband over the head. He had onyx hair that was cropped short, and dark brown eyes.

Sakura shifted nervously as Tsume proceeded to slap her husband over the head for staring at her. Yup that was Kiba's mother for you... Next was Chouza who was kind enough to introduce himself and his wife.

"I'm Chouza Akimichi, and this is my wife Chiyako." The man with light brown hair that ended mid-back, and red swirl marking gestured to the woman sitting beside him. She looked quite similar to him with her light brown hair, and pudgy features. The only difference was her eyes which were a light brown.

At last but not least Sasuke's parents... Sakura wasn't sure what to expect from them seeing as how Sasuke was such a stick in the mud. At least his mother seemed nice enough. The onyx haired woman was still smiling at her gently. She looked so much like Sasuke that it actually hurt...

"I'm Mikoto Uchiha, and this is my husband Fugaku Uchiha." Mikoto nudged her husband in the shoulder when he did nothing to acknowledge Sakura. He gave the pinkette a stiff nod but did not say anything to her. That was so like her Fugaku though so she didn't mind it. She waved towards the chair in invitation to Sakura. "Come and have a seat Sakura. Tell us about yourself!" She gave the blushing woman a welcoming smile. Minato pulled her into a chair and all eyes were on her.

They were seriously expecting to hear all about her? Why did god hate her so much? She cleared her throat and smiled nervously at the froup of people that were waiting for her to say something. "Well I was away on a long term mission until a year ago. After I came back I ended up staying with Minato while I worked on building up the hospital again. I wasn't planning on staying forever but..." She leaned her head on the blonde's shoulder and smiled softly. "He wormed his way into my heart pretty fast! And believe me! I fought it every step of the way!" She turned her head and scowled playfully at her boyfriend.

"What can I say? I'm just that good Sakura." He smirked when she huffed and smacked him in the chest.

"Yeah you say that a lot! But actually you couldn't resist me if you remember correctly!" She smiled smugly when he just shrugged not even attempting to deny it. "Anyways!" She turned back to the group to give them her full attention. "Besides being Minato's object of obsession, and running the hospital, I also help train his team when I get a the chance. Other then that there's not much to tell. I had a pretty normal childhood and all so..." If you counted being involved in a war over the world's fate normal... Closing her eyes she pushed away her painful memories. She needed to focus on the here and now. A rough voice interrupted her inner musings and her eyes shot open and wandered over to Fugaku.

"You're obviously not from the Leaf village with hair like that. So the question is where were you born?" He eyed the pinkette wearily. If she had been born and raised here someone would recognize her. But no one at the table seemed to which was odd. If Minato trusted her then he couldn't really say anything, but he was honesly curious and suspicious of her.

"I was born in Uzushiogakure." She glared at Sasuke's father who had practically just insulted her hair. What was with people and pointing out her weird hair all the time? She subconsciously fingered the ends of her thigh length ponytail her glare never wavering.

"I thought Uzumaki's were renowned for their hair being red." Fugaku pressed ignoring the warning look his wife was sending his way. He was surprised when the pinkette slammed her hands down on the table and thrusted her face right into his.

"My dad had white hair so my hair turned out pink! Not that it's your business mister-high-and-mighty!" She air quoted earning a glare back from the jerk. From the looks on the other members of the group they had not been expecting that from her. "What?!" She spat as she turned to face everyone else.

Tsume smirked at Sakura who had put Fugaku in his place. Not many people had the balls to do that with the Uchiha clan head. She had a feeling that she was going to like this woman. "Nice one Sakura! It was about time that someone told Fugaku to shove it!" She barked out a laugh when said man turned his glare on her instead. "What are you gonna glare at me until I burst into flames?" She flipped him off when he just kept staring at her.

"Fugaku be polite!" Mikoto scolded her husband who was torn between glaring at Tsume, and Sakura. She grabbed his ear and yanked his head down so that her mouth was next to his ear. "Stop it right now or no sex for a year!" She hissed in irritation. That immediately got him to cease glaring at the women, albeit reluctantly. She turned back to Sakura who had settled back in her seat and was leaning against Minato's shoulder. "Well it's nice to see Minato so happy again! He was pretty beaten up after what happened with Kushina. But looking at the two of you I can tell that he is even happier than he ever was with her."

"Thank you Mikoto. That really does mean a lot to me." Sakura pressed herself even closer to Minato's side. Well this wasn't going as bad as she had thought it would be. At least she had not gotten drunk and beaten someone to death yet. Her eyes landed on Tsume who had leaned forward and was smiling at her mischievously. Maybe she had spoken too soon?

"So Sakura how about we have a drinking contest? Think of it as a test of your skills as my future drinking buddy!" She ignored Minato who was gesturing at her to be quiet. "Well? What do you say? You're not scared are you?" Her smirk widened when Sakura immediately scowled at her.

"Don't blame me when I drink you under the table!" She smirked back at the brunette while the other members of the table placed bets. Most of which ended up being for Tsume. Yoshino left the table and returned with several bottles of sake. She placed one in front of Sakura, and another in front of Tsume.

"Whoever concedes defeat, or throws up, or passes out loses!" With that everyone backed off to give the two women space.

Minato sighed as he watched the two women sizing each other up. Why did he get the feeling that it was not a good idea to let this continue?

* * *

Sakura had to admit that Tsume was a heavyweight. But as she watched the other woman sway back and forth, she knew she had this. They were both on their seventh bottle of sake, and were both drunk off their asses. "Just give it up Tsume!" She hiccupped and brought her open bottle to her lips downing the contents in one drink before she slammed the bottle down onto the table.

"N-No way!" Tsume slurred as she mirrored Sakura and downed her bottle of sake. Her vision was blurring and right now her stomach was doing flips. A loud gurgle was the only warning that she had lost the drinking contest before she leaned over and spilled the contents of her stomach all over the floor.

"CHA! HELL YEAH I WIN!" Sakura jolted up from her chair and almost knocked the table over onto Tsume. She would have if Minato had not steadied the table before it could topple onto the brunette. He had to rush to cath her too when she stumbled and almost face planted onto the floor.

"Sakura..." Minato groaned while he got Sakura situated back into her chair. The others had been gradually drinking and now everyone but Mikoto, Fugaku, and him were either drunk or buzzed. That was pretty normal for their Friday night get togethers. But with Sakura, and Tsume drunk... He shuddered to think of what they would do once Tsume got up off of the floor. Everyone exchanged the money they had won or lost as Kato helped Tsume into her chair. The spike haired woman was smiling despite puking her guts all over the floor.

* * *

After a while they had gotten Tsume off of the floor and she had settled in next to Sakura. The women had congregated to one end of the table while the men had moved to the other. Even so, Minato kept a close eye on Sakura in case she did anything crazy. And he may have been eavesdropping a little bit too... But they didn't need to know that.

"So Sakura... How is Minato in bed?" Tsume waggled her eyebrows at Sakura who had blushed as red as a beet at her question.

"TSUME!" Mikoto smacked the dog user in the back of the head for being such a pervert. "How could you ask Sakura something like that?!" She fidgeted and her eyes shot over to Minato who she knew was listening to them. He was blushing a miniscule amount but it was noticeable to her. She smiled apologetically before she turned back to Sakura, and Tsume.

"I can't compare him to anyone since he was my first..." Sakura couldn't help but glance over at Minato to make sure he wasn't listening. Once she was sure that he wasn't she turned back to Tsume. "Well he's amazing in bed! I usually can't feel my legs the next morning!" This was what alcohol did to Sakura. It turned her into a pervert.

"Oooh! So was he your first everything?" Rie gushed and leaned forward the others following her lead.

Sakura's eyes fell and she looked down at the tabletop finding it infinitely more interesting then anything else. "No he wasn't my first love or kiss." She mumbled remembering how Sasuke had been her first kiss even though she had not returned it. He had been shocked when she did not respond to him. But she couldn't because she had chosen Naruto over him.

"Ooooh so who was? Do we know him?" Tsume pressed leaning in even further. She was practically nose to nose with Sakura.

"No you don't know him... He died a long time ago." She purposefully avoided Mikoto's concerned gaze. How could she look at the spitting image of Sasuke right now when she was thinking about his death? How could she look at his mother when she had denied his feelings because she had fallen out of love with him? She shook her head to rid herself of thoughts of Sasuke, and Naruto. She did not want to be reduced to a quivering mess right now, and that was what would happen if she kept on this path. "I don't want to talk about this. I hope you understand." She shot an apologetic look at her companions. Tsume, Yoshino, and Rie groaned while Mikoto looked at her sympathetically.

"All the good stuff is off limits!" Tsume huffed crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sorry... It's a painful subject for me so I don't like to talk about it." Sakura wrung her hands together under the table. She hoped they would drop it. Thankfully Mikoto came to her rescue being the angel that she is.

"So how is your relationship with Minato? I mean how is it really?" She asked successfully directing the conversation to a more pleasant path. The pinkette shot her a grateful smile and she returned it with a smile of her own.

"Oh it's great! He's always so caring, and considerate of what I need or want. I couldn't ask for anything better in a boyfriend." She turned her head to get a better view of Minato and smiled when she caught him smiling at her. She held his gaze for a moment before she turned back to Tsume who had started making gagging sounds.

"Can you two be anymore disgusting? You really need to get away from him for a few minutes!" The dog user slapped her fist into her palm when she came up with a brilliant idea. "I know! We should go to the dance floor!" She scowled at Sakura who had immediately shook her head and shrunk further into her chair. "Sakura... It will be fun! And we will force you if we have to!" She glanced at Rie, and Yoshino who looked up to the challenge.

Sakura looked to Mikoto pleadingly. "Help..." She rasped out when the other women moved to yank her from her chair.

"Sorry Sakura once they start nothing can stop them." Her onyx eyes squinted in sympathy for her new friend. Her childhood friends dragged the struggling pinkette away from the table and she felt sorry for Sakura. The chair next to her was pulled out and a head of familiar blonde hair entered her peripheral vision.

"Where are they taking her?" Minato turned to his best friend's wife. He had seen Tsume, Rie, and Yoshino dragging Sakura away so he figured that he would come keep Mikoto company.

"Oh they decided to make her dance for a little bit... Poor Sakura..." She turned to face her friend who was still staring after the pinkette wistfully. "You really love her don't you?" His blue eyes snapped back and locked with her own onyx ones and she could see the love shining in their depths. A smile crossed her lips and she turned in the direction the four women had disappeared in. "Don't let her slip away like Kushina did Minato." The sound of the chair sliding out from next to her was the only indication that he had moved before he streaked past her in the direction that they had taken Sakura. Yes she had a feeling that those two were just meant to be.

* * *

"No! I don't dance at all!" Sakura hissed after her foot had been trampled by one of the many people twisting around them. Even if she hadn't been caught up in a war she still was not the type of girl to go clubbing. So her dancing skills were painfully underdeveloped. Not to mention that every man within a twenty foot radius was eyeing her like a piece of meat! 'CHA! We have Minato-kun we don't need those guys!' Inner roared as she threw mental darts at every one of the man's faces. Right on cue she felt a hand caress her bottom and she spun around to face a man who couldn't be much older then her. He had black hair, and dark red eyes. He looked kind of like Sasuke in a weird kind of way. But she still was not pleased with him touching her butt. "I have a boyfriend so back off!" With that she turned and made her way back to her group.

"Who's your friend?" Yoshino pointed behind Sakura's shoulder to the young raven haired man. Damn was he good looking!

Sakura looked over her shoulder where Yoshino was pointing and she growled low in her throat. First she's subjected to dancing! Now she's being stalked by a guy who won't take a hint! Alcohol tended to make her mean as hell so if he didn't back off he was going to get leveled in a second. "What did I just say?! Go away already!" She pushed at his chest and he stumbled back and scowled at her.

"Jeez what's your problem bitch?!" The raven haired man straightened himself and approached Sakura again ignoring the warning look she was giving him. "If you need a good fuck I'm your guy babe! And with the way you're acting right now you could definitely use it!" He smirked and reached out to touch her waist.

"Didn't you hear me when I said I have a boyfriend?" She smacked his hands away from her harshly. Why did she always get harassed by the man whores? Her right hand balled into a fist and she was about to introduce it to the jackass's face but a stong hand clamped down on her shoulder and she turned to face Minato who was glaring at the raven haired man.

"I don't appreciate the way you're talking to my girlfriend so back off!" He pushed Sakura behind him so that she was hidden from view. If there was one thing he was it was possessive. No other man touched what was his unless he knew them, or knew that it was non sexual. And God help anyone who overstepped his boundaries. He smirked when the raven haired man held up his hands in surrender and backed off. He turned around and pulled Sakura to him while he glared at his other friends. "I'm taking Sakura home before you three start more trouble!" He dragged her from the dance floor and back to the table where everyone was. "Hey guys Sakura and I are gonna get going!" His friends all nodded and waved at them.

"Take care Sakura! We should spend some time together when you get the chance!" Mikoto waved and smiled at the pinkette who nodded from her slumped position against Minato's shoulder. With that Minato turned and led Sakura out of the bar while Mikoto watched them go. Yes she really would need to spend some time getting to know Sakura.

* * *

It was easy getting Sakura home and into bed as her body was starting to crash from all the alcohol she had consumed. She had merely waved at her grandma, and Rin on her way to their bedroom before she flopped unceremoniously into their bed. He stood watching her in the doorway before he moved to take his shirt off so that he could slide into bed behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest while he buried his face in her hair. At least she had been able to let loose and make some friends. He was glad that he had taken her even if she had drunk herself half to death again. A smile tugged at his lips when she started snoring softly signifying that she had passed out. "Good night Sakura." He mumbled into her hair before he closed his eyes and followed her into unconsciousness.

* * *

Hey guys I know it was kind of a boring chapter but I wanted to have Sakura make some friends for later chapters so I figured might as well do it now! Now I can introduce Itachi into the story! And Shisui! Yay! So I hope you can forgive me for this chapter being a little off! Anyways R&R and give me your opinions on this chapter!


	24. Chapter 24

Alright here's the next chapter for you guys! Thanks for the positive reviews! As for Naruto being the next jinchuuriki it is still undecided! You'll all just have to wait and see! But anyways let's get the chapter going! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! Lemon incoming!

* * *

Mikoto eyed her new friend from across her dining room table. Sakura had stormed into her house in a state of panic. At first she had thought that the pinkette had been hurt, and she was about to dash out of the house to find Minato, but Sakura had stopped her before she could. It turns out that today was Minato's birthday and Sakura had been far too busy at the hospital in the last week to get anything around for him. So she had come to ask Mikoto for help which she was more then willing to give.

"So what should we do for him? I don't even know what to get him for a present!" Sakura tugged on her hair in frustration. Hadn't she just been thinking that she needed to get him something for his birthday a week ago? How the hell had she forgotten? "Please Mikoto help me!" She gave the raven haired woman her best pleading look which she knew she didn't need to bother with but still...

Mikoto rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well you could just make him a nice dinner." She suggested knowing full well how much the blonde loved homemade cooking. Her friend was not greedy in the least and she knew he would be more than pleased if Sakura cooked him a nice meal instead of getting him an expensive present. She looked across the table at the pinkette who had groaned out loud and slumped against the table.

She already planned on doing that! She wanted to get him something nice for his birthday but she didn't know what he liked in terms of objects. Lifting her head up she brought it into her hands and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I was already planning on doing that. But I also wanted to get him something nice for his birthday too! That's what I wanted to come talk to you about! Can you help me birthday shop for him?!" She clasped her hands in front of her chest and stared wide eyed at the Uchiha matriarch.

"I have to watch Itachi, and Shisui after they come home from the academy today." Mikoto was not sure that Sakura would want to have two little boys running rampant while they tried to shop for Minato. But she was surprised when Sakura beamed at her and jumped from her seat.

"That's fine Mikoto! I love kids so it's absolutely no problem whatsoever! We can pick them up from the academy on the way!" Sakura chewed her bottom lip. Hopefully Mikoto didn't think she was being too forward... She was pleased when the raven haired woman laughed and nodded her head while she stood up.

"That's fine Sakura! They should be getting out soon so we should head out!" She lead the pinkette out of the house quickly. Thankfully Fugaku was out or else he would not be pleased that she was pretty much springing Itachi from his afternoon training session. In all honesty she wanted her son to have a more normal childhood. But she didn't have the courage to breach the subject with her husband. Her musing was interrupted when Sakura nudged her shoulder to get her attention. She looked up and was startled to find that they were already in front of the academy. "Oh sorry I had a lot on my mind." She smiled apologetically at Sakura who waved it off.

"It happens to us all Mikoto. Don't even worry about it!" Sakura waved her off while her eyes roved over the hoard of children that had sprinted out of the academy. She was looking for a familiar head of dark brown hair that belonged to Sasuke's older brother. After a moment she had spotted him and another boy as the two jogged over towards her and Mikoto.

"Mother!" The five year old clutched onto his mother's legs while he eyed the pink haired woman beside her. She was watching him with something that looked like reserved happiness. Why did she know him from somewhere? "Mother who is that?" He turned his head up to look at his mother just as Shisui arrived at his side. He was looking back and forth between mother, and the pink haired woman with a small blush on his face.

"Ah yes! You haven't met my friend Sakura before have you Itachi?" Mikoto bent to pull the five year old into her arms so that he was facing Sakura fully. "This is Sakura! She is dating daddy's friend Minato. You remember him right?" She looked down at her son who nodded before he buried his face into her neck shyly. That was her little Itachi! Always so shy and quiet... She turned to the other raven haired boy who was openly gaping at Sakura. "Shisui! It's not polite to stare at aunty's friend!" She scolded the spiky raven haired boy. He scratched the back of his head and shuffled his feet in that adorable manner that he usually did.

"Sorry Aunty Mikoto... She's just so beautiful..." The raven haired boy muttered quietly. The lady in front of him was so pretty! She had pink hair and it was so long and silky. He couldn't stop staring at her even though he was told not to. He shuffled closer to the pink haired beauty and looked up at her with big onyx eyes. "Sakura right?" He liked the way her name rolled off of his tongue. The pink haired beauty nodded at him with a small smile on her face. "You're so pretty... Will you marry me?" He took her hands in his ignoring the way she was giggling at him.

Sakura looked towards Mikoto who was shaking her head at little Shisui's antics. Well her first marriage proposal had come from a six year old... The situation was immensely humorous because of the determined look the boy had on his face. She removed one of her hands from his and patted his head. "Sorry Shisui-kun. I have my Minato already so I can't marry you." She almost squealed at him when his face fell and he scowled at the ground. No doubt he was planning Minato's downfall... 'Cha! He's so freaking cute! If we were six, and didn't have Minato-kun we would date him!' Inner gushed and fawned over the adorable boy. "Inner! Jeez he's six years old!" Sakura chastised her before she bent down to get to eye level with the boy. "We can be friends though Shisui-kun. Would you like that?" After a moment he looked up at her and his eyes were shining with determination and happiness.

"No I will prove to you that I am better then Minato-san! Then you will love me and not him!" Shisui declared startling the two women who were looking on. His head shot up when he heard a voice call out to Sakura. He turned and saw the blonde menace himself as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey you!" He pointed at the blonde shinobi while he took an offensive stance.

"Oh Shisui how is your training going?" Minato nodded to the young boy who was glaring at him while he shook in rage. What was his problem? He looked to his girlfriend who was doing her best not to burst out laughing at the situation. He opened his mouth to ask her what was so funny but he was interrupted by a swift kick to his leg. He looked down at the Uchiha boy who had just kicked him in the shin. "Hey! What did you do that for?" He gave the boy a fake glare to egg him on.

"Sakura-chan is mine! I asked her to marry me so I win and you lose!" He smirked when Minato gaped at him while his blue eyes shot between him and Sakura rapidly.

Honestly all he had wanted to do was ask her if she was busy for lunch since it was his birthday but this is the situation he found himself in. But he really couldn't blame the boy for liking Sakura. She was a beauty after all. AND she was his not anyone else's. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pecked her on the temple, taking pleasure in the way the boy immediately started glaring at him again. "Sorry kid but she's been mine for a while now. Your proposal doesn't count if she already has a boyfriend so... Find your own girlfriend!" He winced when Sakura immediately smacked him in the chest. Hard.

"Don't you be so mean to Shisui-kun!" Sakura scolded her boyfriend who was glaring at her half heartedly. She couldn't help but notice that Shisui had started laughing at her abuse towards Minato. So she turned and put her hands on her hips and that immediately made him stop. "Shisui-kun it's not polite to laugh at people's pain."

He immediately dropped his head and stared at the ground. "Sorry Sakura-chan... But he was trying to take you away from me." He kicked at the dirt to take his mind off of the fact that Sakura was upset with him. Soft hands encased his cheeks and pulled his face up until he was staring into bright viridian eyes.

"It's ok Shisui-kun. But I do need to tell you that I am too old for you. You need to find someone your own age alright?" She pinched his cheeks before she released him and stepped back towards Minato. He didn't say anything, or look at her while she turned to talk to Minato. "So what are you doing here?" She placed her hands on his chest and pressed herself against him. She could feel him bury his face into her hair a habit that he was addicted to.

"I was going to see if you wanted to get some lunch with me." He inhaled deep from his nose breathing in her scent. He could feel her shift and fidget under his ministrations and he pulled back to look down at her. "What?"

"Well I was going shopping with Mikoto this afternoon. But I will be home to make you dinner early tonight I promise!" She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips as an apology. His warm lips pressed back for a second before they separated. He wasn't angry with her or disappointed and she was relieved to see it.

"Well then I'll let you get you shopping done!" He pulled her close and hugged her tight before he pulled away and moved to walk away. "I'll be looking forward to dinner later on Sakura!" He waved to her before he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

She sighed and turned back to Mikoto who was smiling at their display. "Are you ready to get this underway?" Her eyes filled with determination. She would make sure to get him something nice for his birthday!

* * *

Mikoto eyed the kunoichi sympathetically when after two hours in they had not found anything for Minato. They had looked at weapons, armor, and various other shinobi gear. But Sakura wanted to get him something to use at home! She couldn't blame her for that though. Their shinobi were out on the field enough as it was... Something collided with her legs and she looked down at Itachi, and Shisui who were darting in between the racks and had collided into her. "No rough housing in the store you two!" She huffed and pushed the boys away from her.

"Sorry!" Both of them chorused as the turned and darted away to play in another part of the store.

Sakura turned towards the two who had just darted away to play elsewhere. At least Itachi was getting the chance to be a normal kid for one day. She had to smile at how different he looked now that he was just letting loose and having fun. Her eyes followed them for another moment before she turned back to Mikoto who was watching her. "We're not having much luck are we? But at least they're having fun." Sakura smiled at Mikoto who looked quite pleased at that.

"Yes they are. It's a nice change for the both of them because they are always forced to train so hard. I can't seem to talk to Fugaku about toning it down a bit... He just doesn't listen to me at all." She frowned and turned away from the pinkette to eye the contents of the racks once more. "Maybe we should get him a book or something?" She suggested after she had placed the item she had in her hands back onto the rack. Anything to get out of this store that reminded her of what her husband was trying to push her son into. "Itachi! Shishui! We're leaving now!" She called out and a second later the two boys came barreling towards her. Itachi and Shisui bypassed her and latched onto Sakura's legs which surprised Mikoto because Itachi was usually didn't warm up to people fast. But as she watched him smile up at the pinkette she figured it was just Sakura. There was just something that people couldn't help but like about her.

* * *

The young man watching the counter leered at Sakura suggestively as they entered the store and moved towards the history section. She ignored him and looked over the titles from one section while Mikoto looked over the other side. Itachi, and Shisui darted between the shelves occasionally running into one of their legs in their haste. Minato liked books on the history of Konoha and the other nations she could see that from the shelves he had at home but... "He has all of these already..." Sakura huffed and turned towards Mikoto who was frowning as well.

"Yes he is a bit of a bookworm isn't he?" Mikoto wrung her hands together in front of her dress. Who would have thought that they would have so much trouble finding Minato a birthday present? "Maybe some lingerie? He'd be sure to get a lot of enjoyment out of that..." She waggled her eyebrows at the blushing pinkette.

"Mikoto! Who would have thought that you had a perverted side?" Sakura stuttered and turned away from the onyx haired woman. She ignored the way Mikoto was laughing at her while she pretended to look through the titles that she had already memorized. 'Hey it's actually a good idea!' Inner piped in in her annoying voice. "I want to get him something that he can use even without me!" Sakura hissed dangerously. 'But where's the fun in that?' Inner questioned her and you could literally feel her impatience. Sakura just ignored her and focused back on what she was doing. Her eyes ran over a title that she had missed and she pulled it from its place on the shelf."What is this?" She didn't recognize it from Minato's collection either. Her eyes scanned over the title. It read: The History of the Second Hokage. A pretty basic title but if the price was any indication this was not a very available book. "7,500 yen? That's a lot for a book..." Her voice had caught Mikoto's attention and the onyx haired woman had made her way to Sakura's side.

"Oh I recognize this book! I saw Minato eyeing it the last time we came here! I was surprised when he didn't buy it..." She mused out loud. Sure it was an expensive book, but Minato made more then enough money to waste. So why hadn't he bought it when it was obvious that he wanted it? "Are you doing to buy it?" She looked at the pinkette who looked like she was mulling it over.

Sakura knew he would love it so she would pay the ridiculous price for it. "Yeah I'll buy it. As long as he likes it I'll pay the huge price for it." With that she turned and made her way to the counter to pay for the book. She ignored the way the dirty blonde haired young man eyed her up and down as she retrieved the money from her pouch and handed it to him. He handed her the change and a bag containing her book and she hastily fled from the store Mikoto, and the boys hot on her heels. "Thank god I found something for him!" Sakura smiled at Mikoto who was walking beside her.

"Yes it was quite a struggle wasn't it?" Her onyx eyes widened when she caught sight of her husband storming towards them. "Oh no..." She muttered before she plastered on her best smile. "Hello dear. What brings you here when you should be at work?" He was standing in front of her glaring at her.

"Mikoto why aren't Itachi and Shisui training? Why are they out gallivanting with you two?" Fugaku snarled at his wife who flinched at his tone. She didn't say anything and he pinched his nose in irritation. "ITACHI! SHISUI! Come! We're going to train!" He turned away from his wife and Sakura as the two boys made their way to his side. "This better not happen again Mikoto..." With that he stalked off with the two trailing after him.

Sakura really wanted to yell at him for being such an ass but it was not her place. Her tongue was bleeding from the force she had used to bite down to keep herself from saying anything. She turned to Mikoto who was frowning at the spot her husband had disappeared in. "You weren't in the wrong you know?" Mikoto's head snapped over to look at her. Had she forgotten that Sakura was there? "He's wrong for making them train so hard when they don't want to. They can be strong shinobi and live normal childhoods too. So you know what I would do? I would do this as often as I could just to prove a point."

"Fugaku would have my head... But I do think that Itachi, and Shisui would benefit from having a normal childhood... Maybe I should sit down and have a real discussion with him about it." The prospect of doing that worried her as her husband was not one to be dissuaded from anything he thought was right. But she would try for her boys. "Thanks Sakura." She smiled gratefully at the pinkette before she noticed something behind her. Her smile turned to one of mischief and she latched onto Sakura's arm and dragged her towards the store.

"Where are you dragging me to?" Sakura looked over her shoulder and her eyes widened when she saw the sign above the store she was being dragged into. "Kunoichi's Secret? NO!" She cried out in despair as she was dragged into the lingerie store.

* * *

"I AM NOT TRYING THIS ON!" Sakura shouted when Mikoto shoved a red bra with a see through midriff shirt that ended before her bottom in her face. Her face would never retain its normal color she was sure of it! Mikoto shoved it even more insistently into her face and she nearly stumbled from the force. The door was slammed shut immediately after and she sighed and proceeded to pull the article on. It clung to her chest and left quite a bit of her breasts exposed. And that was it! It covered nothing else! She yanked it off and threw it over the stall door. "NO WAY!" She called out as she pulled her clothes back on.

Mikoto laughed from her spot next to the stall door when she heard Sakura cursing and banging about behind the door. A second later the door was thrust open and Sakura stormed out and over to the racks to sort through more lingerie. She joined her and perused the selection while she teased the pinkette. "I thought you didn't want to get lingerie? What happened to that?" She smirked when Sakura looked everywhere but her.

"Shut up! Jeez you're so horrible!" Sakura hissed while she pulled out a red silk camisole that ended mid thigh. "Well this isn't so bad..." She pulled the tag to see what size it was and she was pleased to see that it would fit her around the chest. "What do you think?" She held it up for Mikoto's to give her opinion on.

The red cami was classy yet simple. "Minato will love it!" She nodded her approval and waited while Sakura made her purchase. Her eyes wandered to the clock and she frowned at the time. "Well Sakura I need to get going so that I can get dinner started. But we should do this again sometime!"

"Oh yeah that would be great Mikoto! Anytime you want to and I'm not busy let me know!" Sakura nodded to the woman before she turned on her heel and started walking away. Mikoto called out to her and Sakura spun around to hear what she said. "What?!"

"I said next time we hang out you have to let me know how Minato liked the lingerie!" Mikoto called out and chuckled at the way Sakura's face lit up in a blush. The pinkette shook her head a second before she disappeared in a swirl of cherry blossoms. She really enjoyed spending time with Sakura.

* * *

Sakura put the finishing touches on the homemade ramen that she had slaved over for the last hour and a half. She had booted her grandma, and Rin out of the house for the night by sending them to Tsunade's for a sleepover. Of course her grandma had argued that she wasn't going to leave so that Minato could seduce her, but Sakura had quickly shoved her out the door and locked it after. So now she just had to get dressed in her new "clothes" and wait for him to come home. She left the dining room and walked down the hall and into their bedroom. The cami sat at the end of the bed just waiting for her to put it on. So she stripped and proceeded to slip the article on while she looked herself over in the dresser mirror. She had to admit that it looked good on her... But she didn't have any panties to go with it... 'Cha! Don't bother! They probably will be ruined by the end of the night anyway!' Inner piped up in all of her perverse glory. So Sakura once again ignored her while she focused on twisting her hair into a stick twist with a pair of chopsticks. Once she had finished with that she slipped on a yukata to cover her body from view before she left the bedroom. Her timing was perfect because the minute she stepped into the living room she felt his chakra signature less than a hundred feet from the door. She hurried to the table and sat at the opposite end from the door so that he would see her immediately after he walked in. Her ears picked up the faint click of the lock before the door opened and revealed Minato. She stood from the table and made her way over to him to wrap her arms around his neck. "Happy birthday!" She leaned up and kissed his adams apple while his arms snaked around her waist.

"Oh and here I was thinking that you forgot!" He chuckled while he planted a kiss on the top of her head. He pulled away and looked around the apartment. "Where's Kagami-san, and Rin?" He asked when he didn't see the two anywhere. He felt her hand wrap around his before she started leading him to the table where a pot of what looked to be ramen of some kind sat waiting for them. She pushed him into his seat and hurried to set a bowl in front of him.

"I asked them to stay at Tsunade's for the night." She said after she had placed his bowl in front of him. He was practically drooling at this point. Whether it was because of the ramen, or the implications of that statement she wasn't sure. "Eat up! It's homemade ramen! And before you ask no I have never made it before so I don't know how good it is!" She sat down with her own bowl and waited for him to take the first bite.

He dipped his chopsticks in the bowl and grabbed a good amount of noodles before bringing them to his mouth to slurp them down. His eyes widened at the delicious flavor of the noodles and broth. And she said she had never made this before? It was as good as Ichirakus! She was still watching him and waiting for him to comment on her cooking. "It's great!" He mumbled around a wad of half eaten noodles. She smiled and dug into her own bowl sighing in relief that it actually was edible.

"As long as you like it!" She smiled at him while he slurped down the noodles at an inhuman speed. Well it's no wonder where Naruto got it from... She smiled affectionately at her boyfriend who looked so much like her old friend before she turned back to her food. She was so happy that Naruto would have the chance to get to know Minato this time.

* * *

Half an hour later and Minato had devoured practically the entire pot of ramen. He only stopped when he physically could not eat anymore. Sakura gathered the dishes and deposited them in the sink before she moved to sit on his lap. "Did you enjoy your dinner?" Her hands tangled in his hair and she kissed his lips and pulled away before he could respond. "Hold on a second!" She rose up and walked to the table to retrieve the book she had bought for him. "I got you a present too I hope you like it!" She handed him the thick brown book.

"The History of the Second Hokage." He read the title out loud. This was the book that he had been thinking about buying but had decided against as he had something else he needed to save his money for. He looked up at his girlfriend and smiled at her. "Thank you Sakura." He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her against his chest while he fingered at the edge of her yukata. Sakura slapped his hands away and stood up to make her way down the hallway and to their bedroom, him following close behind.

She gulped nervously as she turned to face Minato who was watching her with barely concealed curiosity, that quickly turned to awe when she slipped her yukata off her shoulders. His eyes roved over her barely concealed body from top to bottom and his jaw fell wide open. Should she take that as a sign that he liked her choice of dress? "What do you think?" She twirled once to let him get a better view. She had not even spun back around to face him when she felt him pressed up against her back. His mouth pressed against her earlobe and his warm breath sent shivers down her spine.

"It looks amazing on you Sakura. I can hardly contain myself." His hands roamed around to her front and slid down her body to massage at her nub. A pleased grunt left his lips when she unconsciously bucked into his hand eliciting a low moan as she did so. She was already hot and wet against his finger so he turned and pushed her down onto the bed as he quickly shed his clothes. He moved over to his nightstand to retrieve a condom but Sakura grabbed his hand and pulled it back to place on her chest. He wondered what she was doing for only a moment before she pressed her heated flesh against the tip of his manhood. "Sakura... What about not getting pregnant?" He grunted out while he resisted the urge to just plunge into her. They hadn't been together in over a week and he was more than missing having her body under him. Even so his jaw nearly dropped at the next word that came out of her mouth.

"I just finished my cycle a few days ago, and I also took a morning after pill just in case." Her bright green eyes locked with his as a seductive smirk spread across her lips. "I wanted to actually feel all of you tonight Minato. I hope you don't mind." She would have laughed at the dumbstruck look on his face if she didn't want him so bad right now. Her legs came up and wrapped around his hips to pull him closer to her as she arched her body so that a small amount of him slid inside of her. If only he wasn't resisting what he wanted most... "Just give in Minato. We both know that you want to." His head dropped and he groaned into her chest before he finally gave in and she could feel him slide into her. Her body arched again her chest being pressed firmly into his face. Her mouth fell open and she sighed in ecstasy before she thrusted her hips up to let him know that she wanted him to move.

He had to grit his teeth at how tight, hot, and wet she was as her walls gripped him to the point of near pain. And when she thrusted into him he couldn't take the stillness anymore. He pulled back as far as he could and thrusted back into her as hard as he dared eliciting a scream from Sakura. He started repeating the motion until he was thrusting into her over and over again as hard as he could. Screams fell from Sakura's parted lips and he leaned down to crash his lips onto hers as he twisted his hips with every single thrust. His tongue darted into her mouth and ran across every part of her cavern while they both groaned in ecstasy. He brought his hands up and pulled at the red cami making her sit up and he had to pull away from her mouth so that he could rip it off of her, before his hands darted to her nipples tweaking them between his fingers. She grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him down so that their lips crashed onto each others again their tongue desperately seeking each others again.

She was screaming into his mouth because of the unbelievable pleasure she was feeling. Every time he thrusted back into her heat shot through her like she had never felt before. The coil in her stomach was tightening even more than ever before and she dug her nails into Minato's sweaty back to ground herself. She pulled away from his mouth and moved to take his earlobe into her mouth so that she could suck on it. His mouth attached itself to her pulse point and sucked at it making her whimper sharply. Her hips started bucking up into his and that made him slide in even further with every stroke. It still wasn't enough for her so she tightened her thighs around him and flipped them over so that he was on his back. Hips still gyrating against him she smirked down at him. "It's your birthday Minato so let me do the rest of the work okay?" She practically purred down at him. Her hands came up and splayed across his chest as she lifted herself up and slammed herself back down. He bucked into her and grunted for more so she started gyrating herself against him as fast as she could. The friction was unlike anything she had felt before and she cried out with every move she made. Her eyes shot down to Minato's face that was screwed into a look of utmost ecstasy. She was glad that he was enjoying his last birthday gift. She lowered her mouth down and captured his lips with her in another heated kiss, her ministrations never faltering. One of her hands reached down and pulled one of his up to caress her chest. He took the hint and cupped both of her breasts into his hands kneading at them roughly. God was he making this good for her.

He had never had sex that was this good. Hell he could barely keep himself grounded as she rode him for all he was worth. He could hear the sounds of their wet flesh rubbing against each other and the sound was like music to his ears. His orgasm was fast approaching and he had to grit his teeth to hold out for Sakura. Her hips were moving almost too fast for trained eyes to see and he could feel her walls quivering around him. She needed another push and he thanked god that he had put seals all over his room because in half a second he had jumped across the room and pinned her to the wall. He started pounding into her even more viciously and his mouth immediately shot down to her right nipple engulfing it into his mouth. Her fingers buried in his hair and he felt the first waves of her orgasm rock her body. She was crying out the sound like music to his ears and he picked up his pace even more desperate for her to release for him. He pulled his mouth away from her chest and looked her straight in her half lidded eyes. "Cum Sakura!" He commanded before he slammed his mouth back onto hers a second before she finally screamed in ecstasy. A loud grunt escaped from his lips as he thrusted into her to prolong her orgasm before his finally racked his body. His thrusts became erratic and choppy as he released into her in several strong sprays. He kissed her languidly before he finally allowed his head to drop down to rest against her chest. His breaths were short and choppy from the strain of their activities and he had to wait a moment before he could say anything. "Do I get this for every birthday Sakura?" He chuckled as he pulled back to look up at her.

She shook her head and caressed his spiky blonde locks. "If you want it baby." She smirked and it was his turn to shake his head at her. He pulled away from the wall and carried her to the bed and plopped them down into it her laying on top. She propped herself onto her elbows and looked down at him while she traced patterns on his chest. "You know... I might consider just going on the pill to prevent pregnancy instead of using condoms... They just don't do your penis justice." She joked and patted his chest affectionately. She could feel his hands as they ran through her hair and down her back.

"I love you Sakura." He looked up at her seriously. Her pink hair was draped over her shoulder surrounding them like a thick curtain. Her eyes were glazed over while her mouth was bruised from their furious kissing. She looked so beauitful that he could not put it into words. "I really do love you Sakura. Promise me that you will stay with me forever..." He pulled her down to brush his lips against hers gently. How he had ever been blessed with an angel like Sakura he would never know. But one thing was for certain, he would never let her go.

"I promise Minato. I love you and I promise to stay with you always..." She had never uttered any words with more conviction and strength. This was a promise that she would honor until she died. She was his until he decided if he decided that he didn't want her. But as he stared up at her with a look of utmost relief, and happiness she knew that he would never let her go.

* * *

Yay I loved writing this chapter! A question for all of you guys! Are you ready for the bridge mission? It's coming up in the next few chapters so be ready for it! Remember this timeline is not exactly like the one in the actual anime so some things will be happening earlier than they did before! Just wanted to let you all know that in case you were confused about anything! R&R and let me know how you guys liked it!


	25. Chapter 25

Alright here's the next chapter for you guys! I wanted to let you all know that the next chapter will be the bridge mission and I do plan on adding my own twist to it so be prepared for that! I hope you all like what is happening in this chapter because I thought long and hard about how I wanted this to go. So anyways on with the story! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

* * *

Sakura sighed while she watched Rin dodge the various spring traps she had set for her. By this point the brunette was pretty good at dodging people by reading their attack patterns but she still had trouble with weapons. So they had been out in the training grounds since dawn so that Rin could practice. The brunette was panting tiredly from the pain of being struck more than a few times, and having her chakra depleted. But Sakura was a firm believer that you had to learn to tough things out to make it. So she wouldn't let Rin leave until she physically could not move. "Dodge them Rin!" She shouted out furiously when the brunette was struck by several senbon. The girl seemed more distracted then she had ever seen her! "RIN! IF THESE WEAPONS HAD POISON ON THEM YOU WOULD BE FUCKED! GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR!" She yelled again when her patience reached its limit. The girl was reminding her of how she had been before she had started training with Tsunade! Rin was better than this and they both knew it! She watched her for several more moments as the girl was struck repeatedly with senbon before she held her hands up and deactivated the traps. "That's enough Rin!" She moved towards the girl and knelt down to remove the senbon and heal the puncture marks. "What is wrong with you today? You never do this bad!" Her viridian eyes wandered up towards Rin's face and she noticed that the girl looked quite irritated. "Rin? What's wrong?" Sakura sat down beside her and propped her right arm up onto her right knee. Rin didn't say anything for a moment and she was starting to lose her patience with her. Right as she was about to open her mouth and demand to know what was wrong Rin finally spoke.

"Sorry Shishou... I just haven't been feeling good today. Girl stuff..." Rin blushed and avoided her Shishou's gaze like the plague. It was embarrassing to admit that she was sluggish because she had cramps but... Normally she soldiered through it and did her best anyways but it was really bothering her this time. She expected her Shishou to scold her for being a wimp but instead Sakura wrapped her arm around her shoulder and pulled her to her.

"Ahhh... Well I know how that feels Rin. I used to have the same problem, still do sometimes! Maybe you should think about taking birth control pills to regulate your cycles? God knows I thought about it but I never did start taking them." She was happy that Rin felt comfortable enough to share everything with her. But sometimes the girl was so concerned with what others thought of her that she didn't just tell people what was wrong with her. If she had just told her in the first place, then she would have taken her to the hospital to get her some special painkillers, and BC pills. Well now that training was over there was no reason to stay here. Pulling herself up from the grass she dusted her shorts off and turned and held out a hand to Rin. "Come on. We'll go get you some painkillers, and I will prescribe you some birth control pills." Rin took her hand and Sakura pulled her up and started dragging her towards the hospital. What else would today bring?

* * *

"Ok so here are your painkillers. Take them as needed but do not exceed four pills a day." She showed Rin a small pill bottle with her painkillers in it before she shoved it into a small paper bag. She turned and grabbed a small round container and held it up for Rin to see. "And these are your bitrth control pills. Take one at the same time every day. And for the love of god do not let Minato see these alright? God knows that he would think that Obito was trying to persuade you into sex again!" She sweatdropped at the thought before she stuffed the container into the bag as well.

"Thank you Sakura Shishou! And I will make sure to find a good hiding place for these!" Rin bowed in gratitude and took the bag from Sakura. Hopefully these pills would help her out because it would be a waste to use healing chakra to soothe the ache on missions. Her eyes wandered from her Shishou to the clock and she gasped at what time it was. "Sorry Shishou I have to get going! I was supposed to meet Shizune fifteen minutes ago!" She waved at her before she turned and darted out the door.

"Bye Rin!" Sakura called out not sure if the girl was still close enough to hear her. There was no response so she decided to go and do some shopping for groceries because they were running low. She exited the exam room and walked down the corridor towards the lobby and out the door. Once she was on the street she turned right towards the market district and started making her way there. Her mind wandered to Minato who was in a meeting for at least another hour. The council was testing him to make sure that he knew all the regulations, and protocols that were necessary for the job. She had to scoff at that! Minato was a genius! There was no way that he would have trouble learning the necesary desk skills he needed to be the Hokage. But still... Now that he was that much closer to becoming Hokage he was away from her even when he was home. It was just part of the job and she knew that he was ecstatic to be accomplishing his life long dream. Something collided with her legs nearly knocking her off balance and she looked down to see Itachi, and Shisui huffing while they clung to her legs. She immediately thought that they were in trouble so she leaned down and wrapped her arms around both of them. "Itachi? Shisui? What's wrong? Are you in trouble?" She asked as her eyes darted around to assess the area for any danger. 'Outter who would have infiltrated Konoha?' Inner snickered at Sakura's paranoia. "Shut up Inner!" She grunted before she looked back down at the two onyx eyed boys who were staring up at her. "Well? What is it?" Her impatience was getting the best of her and it was audible in her voice. Shisui looked to Itachi as if telling him to talk and the Uchiha heir did just that.

"Sakura-san we ran away from training! We wanted to come and spend time with you again! But if Father finds us then he'll make us go back! Please help us hide!" Itachi looked up at the pinkette pleadingly. He was so tired of not being able to play with his friends! He honestly could not take it anymore! Sakura's eyes widened and he thought that she would take them back to his father instead. What actually happened was the exact opposite of his worse case scenario.

Sakura smirked and patted the two boys on the head. Ahhh Itachi was rebelling against daddy Fugaku! If she knew where the fool was she would go say I told you so but she would settle for helping the boys out for now. "Ahh I see! So you want me to take you somewhere so we can do something fun huh?" Both boys nodded excitedly and she giggled at how absolutely adorable they looked. She could also take this chance to straighten Fugaku out when he came and hunted his little ones down... Which he undoubtedly would... She smirked in anticipation as she stood and gestured for the boys to follow her. "Bring it Fugaku..." She whispered too low for either of the boys to hear her.

* * *

"Alright what do you two wanna do today?" Sakura asked them after they had arrived at the training grounds. She wanted to go them a choice in the matter because they had never been able to make their own choices in life. No they were always told what they were going to do, and that they were going to like it. Controlling people's lives was not on her agenda so she waited patiently for them to decide what they wanted to do. Viridian orbs watched them as they looked at each other for about thirty seconds before they finally turned back to her.

"LET'S PLAY TAG!" They shouted simultaneously. Both immediately scrambled to their feet and took off into the treeline leaving Sakura to chase after them.

"Huh... Who would have ever thought that any Uchihas besides Obito would have such a playful streak." Sakura mused before she took off into the trees. It wouldn't really be fair if she used chakra to sense their location so she focused instead on using her sight and hearing to locate them. She took to the tree branches and zipped through the branches high above the ground so that she had a nice vantage point of the ground below. "Ah hah! Spotted you!" She smirked when she saw the familiar head of spiky raven hair duck into a hollowed tree stump. Swiftly jumping to the ground she stalked to the spot where she knew Shisui was hiding and knocked on the log. "Shisui-kun come out I know you're in there!" She sang out and right on cue Shisui's pouting face poked out from the other side of the log.

"How did you find me so fast? Did you cheat?" He pouted up at the pinkette who was giggling down at him. And he had thought that this was a good hiding place too! He wormed his way out from his hiding spot and Sakura quickly tapped him on the head.

"Tag you're it Shisui-kun! Oh and no tag backs!" She added when he went to re-tag her. He pouted at her again and she laughed outright at him before she spun on her heel and bolted into the woods. Hopefully they were having a lot of fun!

Shisui pouted after Sakura had disappeared into the trees. "If she wasn't so pretty I would kick her butt!" He whined while he stomped his foot. Now he had to go find Itachi! That would never turn out well for him! Itachi was the best at everything and that probably included hiding! Standing here wasn't getting him anywhere so with a sigh he turned around and bolted in the direction that he had seen Itachi go in earlier. The trees were a blur as he pushed chakra into his feet to increase his speed. His eyes roamed over the tree-tops and the foliage for any sign of Itachi. Nothing! How come Sakura had found him so easily and he couldn't find Itachi? This was going to take a lot longer then he thought.

* * *

Minato was surprised when he walked out of the Hokage's office and came face to face with an angry Fugaku, and an uncertain Mikoto. "Fugaku what is wrong?" His voice was laced with concern. Whatever had Fugaku here and looking so angry must not be good at all. The Uchiha patriarch was practically shaking with rage and what he said was not what Minato had expected to hear.

"Your woman took my son, and nephew off gallivating about when they're supposed to be training!" He practically yelled in his friend's face. This was the second time in three days that this had happened! There was no way he would tolerate the woman's meddling! He stepped closer to Minato in a somewhat threatening manner. "Where did she take them?" Body shaking in barely restrained rage he was not one to mess with right now. But this was Minato he was talking to so he was not surprised when the intimidation tactic did not have the desired effect.

"I don't think Sakura would just take Itachi, and Shisui. And even if she did take them there's no way she forced them. Sakura is loud, aggressive, and outspoken but she is also kind and loving." His matter-of-fact tone seemed to piss Fugaku off even more. But he still felt the need to defend Sakura from his friend, because he could honestly see why she was doing what she was doing. Even he did not wish Itachi, or Shisui's fates on anyone. Nor did he wish to see his friend killed by his own son. So he would have to stand by Sakura on this one because she was right. "I can take you to them if you want. But once we do find them I suggest you listen to what they have to say." He retrieved one of his three pronged kunai from his pouch and stepped forward so that Fugaku, and Mikoto could grab a hold of his arms. The familiar rush of time and space flew by and in a second they were standing in front of Sakura who was crouched on the ground. She whirled around a look of surprise plastered on her face, that quickly changed to one of irritation when she saw Fugaku.

All good things must come to an end she mused while she glared at the Uchiha patriarch just as fiercely as he was at her. She turned and stood, her arms immediately crossing her chest. "Is there a reason that YOU are here?" She pointed a finger at Fugaku who looked like he wanted to kill her. 'Cha! Like he could!' Inner raged pumping her fists furiously. She had to smile at that because she knew she could take Fugaku, and if he didn't back off he would know it too.

"ME?! WHY AM I HERE?! YOU TOOK MY SON AND NEPHEW WITHOUT PERMISSION! THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TRAINING RIGHT NOW BUT INSTEAD THEY'RE OUT MESSING AROUND WITH YOU!" Fugaku stormed up to the pinkette who did not look in the least bit intimidated. That only served to piss him off even more! "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE WOMAN?! WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO UNDERMINE ME IN REGARDS TO MY SON?! YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD GODDAMN REASON!" He was one step away from punching some sense into her even if it would seriously damage his friendship with Minato. His clan's future was more important to him than anything and he would not tolerate this woman getting in the way.

Sakura could not take this man's blatant disregard for his son's feelings anymore! Her hand came up at frightening speed and impacted with the side of his face making it snap to the right and his body stumble back a few feet. "WHO AM I?" She spat while she moved to get back in his face. "I AM SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN THE RESULTS OF ITACHI'S TRAINING! I'VE SEEN THE WAY HE SUFFERS BECAUSE OF THEY WAY YOU MADE HIM LIVE HIS LIFE!" She didn't even care that she was giving herself away. If it was to help those boys she would gladly do anything she had to. Mikoto was looking at her in shock, and confusion. While Fugaku was mustering the best glare he could after she had slapped him senseless.

"What do you mean you know how his training turns out? Sakura there's no way you could possibly know that..." Mikoto locked eyes with Sakura's own bright green and her stomach dropped at the pain that was now visible to her. She really did know... "But how...?" Her emotions got to her and despite her best efforts her voice broke with sadness. Her friend was in so much pain that it was almost like she could physically feel it wafting off of her. It made her heart ache...

"I know because I actually grew up in the future." Sakura stated evenly with no hint of emotion. No she would say what needed to be said, what Fugaku needed to hear. "In the world that I grew up in there was no Uchiha clan." Fugaku looked at her with eyes filled with disbelief.

"No Uchiha clan? That's not even possible!" He argued once he managed to right himself. This woman spoke absolute nonsense! No Uchiha clan? Time travel? Preposterous! "There is no such thing as time travel woman!" He spat furiously. He would not believe it! He refused to believe it!

"There is such a thing Fugaku. I was born in this time and sent forward into the future. I actually grew up with your second son." Viridian eyes clouded over with the immense pain that saying that brought her. "His name was Sasuke Uchiha and he was my teammate. He was also my first love." She tried to keep her voice strong but it was hard when she thought about her teammates. She comforted herself with the knowledge that she would get to see them grow up. "He grew up alone after Itachi was ordered to massacre your clan. You were planning a coup to overthrow the council and that would have starred another war. So he chose Konoha over you, over his people. Do you know what that did to him?" Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over and she did not even try to stop them. "Do you know what that did to Sasuke? He grew up feeding his hate so that he could kill his big brother that he loved so much! He wanted vengeance for you! Even though you never praised him or treated him with love... Even though you always compared him to Itachi and he never measured up... He still loved all of you enough to kill his last family member. And Itachi? He wandered with his heart broken beyond repair. He never got to be a child! He never should have had to do the things that he did! But here you are pushing him towards that anyways! Do you want that to happen again?! Do you want your sons to suffer for their entire lives because of your need for power?" Her heart hurt so bad that she wanted to scream and sob until she could not shed anymore tears. They had suffered so much because of this man's need for power. It was not just Madara, or Obito. No it was Fugaku himself that played a major role in his clan's demise. Even if they stopped the nine-tails attack from happening, and thus saved the clan from extinction, then what? Itachi would still be a broken man because of his father's need to make him into a cold blooded killer. That was not what he wanted to be! His heart was warm, and loving and she would not let this man ruin him! Her eyes locked with his a fiery determination settling in their depths. "I won't let you do this to him. To them! They don't deserve the fate you are sending them towards! So open your eyes and think about what you are doing to them!" The future could be changed infinitely but if she could not save Sasuke, and Itachi it would mean so much less to her because that would mean that she had failed to save them when she had saved everyone else. That was not acceptable to her.

Minato wanted to go to her and hold her to take the pain away... He wanted to kiss her to drown away her sorrows... But this was another thing that she had to do by herself... And he as always would be there to comfort her when she was done. At least it looked like she was getting through to Fugaku somewhat if only because of the pain that she was voicing. There was no way that anyone could fake that amount of suffering and Fugaku knew it. He could only hope that his friend would see reason...

Fugaku couldn't bring himself to look into the pinkette's eyes so filled with sadness that they were. "Why should I believe you? How could anything you say be true?" How? How could any of that happen? Would he really become so filled with hate that he would do something like that? Would his sons really suffer so greatly because of him? Was she right about Itachi?

"I can tell you about the mangekyo sharingan, and how Itachi gets it from killing Shisui." Her throat clenched and she choked back a sob at the thought of the little raven haired boy dying. She had to do this for him, for Sasuke, for Itachi, and for the future team seven. This was her fate as a martyr. "Surely you must know that to acquire the mangekyo sharingan you have to kill the person most important to you." Fugaku nodded at her before his head bowed. "Itachi killed Shisui to acquire it and he suffered every day because of what he did. He suffered the fate of a martyr as well... To have everything you love taken away from you... Yet you still strive to give even when everything is being ripped away from you. I am like Itachi was in that way. I lost everything and yet here I am trying to change everything for the better. Sometimes it hurts so much that I can hardly bare it. But I know that I can never give up if I want a world where my loved ones can be born and grow up in peace. Even if our relationships with each other will never be the same, I have to tell myself that I can see them again even if it's not the same way. It's bittersweet really, to know that they will never see me as Sakura their classmate and friend. No they will see me as Sakura their Sensei or their elder. I still can't decide what I want to feel more... Sadness... Or happiness. But I do know what I want them to feel, and that is happiness, and joy. I want that for all of them, and that means Itachi, and Shisui too." She dropped to her knees and bowed her head to the ground in front of Fugaku. "I'm begging you! Please don't make Itachi, and Sasuke suffer like that! Let them be happy children who will live full lives!" She had cast aside her pride and thrown herself onto his mercy. She just hoped that somewhere inside he had a heart...

The woman had just slapped him and now she was begging him to let his sons be happy? Everything he thought he knew was being turned upside down... He may be a cold man but even he loved his son, though he was hard on him. But if his son was going to suffer so horribly was it worth it? Was it worth it for his not-yet-born son to be damned before he was even born? No it was not worth it if this was the result. For once in his life his stubborn pride had crumbled and he was left completely defenseless. "Sakura right?" He mumbled causing said kunoichi's head to snap up. His onyx eyes locked with her viridian ones that never wavered. "I am a stubborn man Sakura. But even I can see the truth in what you say. So I will lessen Itachi, and Shisui's training so that they can have more time to play together." It was comical how the pinkette's mouth dropped wide open and she made an odd strangled noise from the back of her throat. He had to raise an eyebrow at how she was acting.

Did he... Did he really just admit to being wrong? She slowly brought up her hand and pinched her cheek to make sure she was awake. Yup it hurt so she was definitely conscious and this was really happening. What happened next was somewhat of a blur to her. One minute she was sitting on the ground, and the next she was running around the clearing shouting at the top of her lungs. "ITACHI! SHISUI! COME OVER HERE I HAVE GREAT NEWS!" She cupped her hands over her mouth so that her voice could carry farther. Thirty seconds later the two came barreling through the brush and stopped in front of her. Their eyes were flickering between her and Fugaku rapidly and they were wearing matching expressions of disappointment.

Itachi moved to step around Sakura before his father lost his temper, but Sakura stopped him. "Sakura what are you doing? My father is going to be quite angry at us." He looked up at Sakura who was smiling down at him. It was not what he expected from her and a quick glance at Shisui was enough for him to see that his cousin was just as baffled by the way the adults were acting. The sound of a throat clearing was enough to snap him to attention as his father made his way over to them. "I am sorry for skipping training father. Please forgive me! I will train extra hard tomorrow!" He bowed at the waist in apology and his cousin quickly followed suit. He was surprised however when his father did not reprimand him. No he did something that Itachi had never seen him do before.

"Itachi. Shisui." Fugaku waited until the boys looked up at him before he continued. "After a long talk with Sakura I have decided to give you two hours a day to play after classes get over at the academy. And I am also going to give you Sundays off so that you may spend them as you wish." Did their jaws literally drop when he said that? His eyebrow raised again when they just stared at him like he was from another planet. Was kindness really so out of character for him...? One look at their faces said that yes it was indeed quite out of character for him. He had not been good to these children. He had not been a good father, a good uncle... "I'm sorry for the way I have treated you both. I was blind and I did not see what I was doing to you. Thankfully Sakura knocked some sense into me in the literal sense." He rubbed his cheek in an attempt at humor which he could also say he was sorely lacking in. The boys surprised him when they barreled into Sakura and knocked her to the ground. He watched the three laugh together and it actually managed to make him smile a real genuine smile. Maybe this was what Mikoto was saying about Sakura... The woman really did have the power to change people.

* * *

After the little episode in the woods Mikoto had insisted that she and Minato come over for dinner at their home. It was probably her way of saying that she was grateful for what Sakura had done, so she would never think of turning Mikoto's offer down. Minato was sitting next to her while Fugaku, and Mikoto were directly across from them. Itachi, and Shisui were to their right, and Obito was to their left. Sakura had to admit that Mikoto's cooking was very good and she had eaten more than she normally did in one sitting. "That was delicious Mikoto! I will have to treat you to some of my cooking one day!" Sakura smiled at the Uchiha matriarch kindly.

"I would like that Sakura! I have only heard good things about your cooking from Minato!" Mikoto looked towards the blonde who only had eyes for Sakura. This was the perfect opportunity to tease the couple. She leaned her chin against her right hand and smiled sweetly at her friends. "So when are you two going to get married? I mean it's obvious that you two are madly in love with each other." Her smile changed to a smirk when Sakura sputtered and a furious blush crept across her cheeks.

"MIKOTO! We've only been dating for six months!" Sakura huffed and turned away from her friend's teasing expression. Her eyes wandered everywhere but Minato who she could feel watching her. Why did Mikoto have to say that? It wasn't like she didn't want to marry Minato but... She didn't want him to feel like he had to propose to her...

"So? If you love each other then it's never too soon!" Onyx eyes shot over to Minato while she tried to convey her less than subtle hint. His ocean blue eyes locked with hers and she could see determination, and nervousness in them. So he was already planning his proposal huh? Well all he had to do was ask for her help and he had it. She turned away from Minato and looked at Sakura who was still blushing furiously. "With the way you're acting I am starting to think that you would turn him down if he asked you to marry him..." She goaded the pinkette even more and Sakura did not disappoint her.

"OF COURSE I WOULD SAY YES!" Her hands immediately slapped over her mouth while her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god! Did I really just say that out loud?!" She screamed in her mind. 'Cha! Hell yeah you did!' Inner cheered her for her temporary insanity. She whimpered and shot from her seat and bolted out the door. Mikoto's voice called out to her but she didn't stop to hear what she had to say. All she could think about was getting away from the embarrassing situation that her big mouth had landed her in this time. She had barely made it out of the Uchiha compound when she was grabbed and spun around to be pinned against a wall. Minato had pinned her to the wall and pressed his body against hers so that there wasn't even space for her to move. "Min-! Mmmph!" Her words died in her throat when he slammed his lips down on hers. She felt him thrust his hips into hers and it made her mouth fall open in a small moan. He quickly took advantage and slipped his tongue into her mouth to tangle around hers. His hand moved to the hem of her shirt and fingered at the exposed skin of her side and she immediately pressed herself even further into him. Her skin tingled where he rubbed at it and she never wanted the feeling to stop. It had to unfortunately because he pulled away from her before she wanted him to.

He licked his lips but kept her pinned to the wall. "Sakura why did you run away? Are you really that embarrassed by what you said?" He leaned down and flicked his tongue against her pulse point before he moved to her ear to whisper in it. "I liked what you said..." He licked at her earlobe and pulled it into his mouth to suck on it. Who cared if they were in public! With what she had just admitted he could not contain his happiness. But life had a nasty way of barreling into you at the worst possible times because just as he was getting into it a poof was heard next to them. He groaned and banged his head on the wall before he turned to face the anbu who had just ruined his day.

"The Hokage requests the presence of your team immediately." With that he poofed away in an instant.

Sakura looked to Minato who just nodded at her. "I will get the others so meet us at the Hokage tower." With that he disappeared and she was left alone. Such was the life of a shinobi...

* * *

Hiruzen eyed the young teens, and their Senseis with a critical eye. This mission would decide a large part of Konoha's future and he knew once he uttered the name of their assignment Sakura, and Minato would be on high alert. "Your mission is to destroy the Kannabi bridge." As expected the two jonin tensed and shared a nervous look. "You will leave at dawn. Sakura will accompany you three to destroy the bridge while Minato has his own separate mission. If either of you finishes you are to go and help the other team if they are in need. If that is clear then you may go home and prepare for your mission. Dismissed." The team filed out of the room and he had to trust that Sakura, and Minato would not fail him. No there was no way they would fail him. Not when everything was riding on their shoulders... He trusted his shinobi to get this done with no losses. They would be back as strong as ever he was sure of it...

* * *

Yeah the bridge mission is in the next chapter but I am adding my own twist to it so I hope you like it! Hopefully I will have it posted in a few days so be patient! I LOVE BEING ABLE TO MESS WITH THE TIMELINE HOWEVER I WANT IT'S AWESOME! R&R!


	26. Chapter 26

Finally the bridge mission is here! I am so pumped to be writing this chapter! I added my own twist to the mission because I wanted it to be a little more of a challenge for Sakura! So I hope you all enjoy my new twist on the timeline! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!

* * *

Sakura leaned against the village gates while she, Minato, Kakashi, and Rin waited for their final member to arrive. As always Obito could not arrive on time and it was seriously irritating Sakura due to the significance of this mission. Her body was already on edge even though she had tried her best to remain calm and collected. Her head snapped up when she heard voices approaching them and she saw her grandma, Tsunade, and Obito walking towards them. She pushed herself off of the wall and turned to face the new arrivals. "Grandma. Shishou." She greeted curtly while her eyes wandered to Obito and she gave him a disapproving glare. She didn't say anything because she knew that the boy could feel her irritation the moment their eyes met. After another moment she turned back to her grandma and Tsunade expectantly. "Here to see us off?"

Kagami stared at her granddaughter in worry. There was just something about this mission that had her on edge and she did not know what it was. "Yes we came to see you off Sakura." She moved forward to engulf her granddaughter in an embrace. "Be careful Sakura... I mean it." She pulled away after another moment, but her eyes were trained on Sakura even while she and Tsunade bid their goodbyes. Why would this feeling not cease? Why was she so unsettled? Even after Tsunade had returned to her side and the team had waved and turned and exited the village gates she could not stop. "Come home to me safely Sakura..." She whispered before the team disappeared from sight.

* * *

Sakura could not stop thinking about the events of this mission from her timeline. Would it be the same? Would there be new enemies to contend with? Why did she favor the latter option? Probably because that was her luck... Her eyes wandered over to Rin who was keeping pace beside her. She would have to trust that Rin could handle herself this time around... She would have to put all of her faith in her heightened abilities, the girl had trained hard in the last year after all... Minato fell into step beside her and she swiveled her head to meet his eyes. He gave the gesture for them to stop and everyone immediately froze in place. "This is where we split up." It wasn't a question because she already knew the answer. From here on out she would be responsible for the team and she would not let him down.

"Yes my mission is in the opposite direction from this point." Minato looked over his team from one to the next until he finally settled on Sakura. "I'm expecting you to keep my team safe, and come back in one piece." His eyes softened and he moved forward to pull her into his arms. "If you need me just push your chakra into my kunai and I will come help you. Be safe Sakura..." He pulled his head back and leaned down to brush his lips against hers before he pulled back. "All of you do your best alright?" Ocean blue eyes trailed over to his team in pride. They could handle this mission he was sure of it. And they had Sakura this time too so they would be fine. He had to trust in her, in all of them. With that he pulled away and with one last look at his team he turned and bolted into the trees opposite of them.

Sakura watched him go for another moment before she turned and looked at her team. "Alright the Kannabi bridge is only a few hours away so let's get moving alright? Stick close and move quietly!" She didn't wait for her team to acknowledge her command before she took off in the direction of their mission. They traveled in complete silence, her team must have noticed her anxiety because even Obito kept his mouth shut. She had to thank them for that because she needed every ounce of her concentration for this mission. Hopefully it would go over well...

* * *

Several hours later and they still had not run into any enemy ninja. For some reason that concerned Sakura even more than anything else. According to the other timeline they should have run into them some time ago... "Doesn't make sense..." She muttered as her eyes shot around the surrounding foliage looking for any threats. Nothing! There wasn't a damn thing! She stopped short and turned to face her team who were all panting with having to keep up with her furious pace. Had she really been so on edge that she had been pushing them so hard? This wouldn't do if they were attacked by enemy ninja so she decided to take a small break, they would need to be rested for when their enemies did show up. "Let's take a ten minute break before we move on." Her team all slumped to the ground except for Kakashi who just leaned against a tree casually. She took her seat on a fallen tree and eyed the group wearily. The same question kept running through her mind over and over again. Would they be able to handle themselves like real ninja on this mission? Her eyes wandered to Rin who was chatting quietly with Obito. Would Rin be able to handle herself? Said girl turned to her and Sakura almost missed what she said due to being so on edge.

"Shishou how close are we to the target?" Rin asked her Shishou who looked to be troubled by something. She had never seen her Shishou look so worried before but she knew Sakura would most likely not answer her if she asked her what was wrong. Her Shishou looked at her for a moment before she answered her in a reserved tone.

"We should arrive at the bridge anytime now Rin. So all of you had better be on high alert for enemy ninja because this is dangerous territory." She could not stress to them enough how important this actually was on this mission. One slip up and it could spell disaster for their futures. She had to keep telling herself that they were ready or she would go crazy with worry and that was not beneficial to their situation. The impact of her statement was almost instantaneous. Obito scooted closer to Rin and his eyes shot around the clearing wearily. Rin's hand immediately shot to her weapon holster for quick access to her weapons as she took in her surroundings as closely as Obito. And Kakashi, well she didn't need to worry about him in terms of being on alert. He was her former Sensei after all... After a few more moments of this she finally stood and dusted her pants off. "Alright let's get moving. Obito, Kakashi you bring up the rear, and Rin you're behind me." The three teens nodded and got into their assigned places before they turned and took off into the trees again. The trees flew by in a blur of green and brown and it would've been comforting if she was not so worried about her team. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong... Behind her she could sense that Kakashi had stopped and she whirled around to face him. "What's wrong? Why are you stopping?" She moved closer to her former Sensei and stopped when she was right in front of him. His eyes were closed and his nose was scrunched up under his mask. Had he smelled something?

" There is a strange odor but I am not sure what it is." His eyes snapped open and shot up to his second Sensei's face. Her eyes had snapped shut and a look of deep concentration was etched onto her features. A moment later her eyes shot open and looked down at him and his teammates in panic. That look had him reaching for the blade of his tanto in the blink of an eye. Nothing! He couldn't see a damn thing! And one look at his teammates was enough for him to know that they didn't sense anything either. He looked back over at Sakura who had not moved an inch since her panic had made itself known. "Sensei what is it? Do you sense something?" Whatever enemy had her so concerned had to be one to reckon with because Sakura was practically fearless. At least she had always seemed to be to him and his teammates.

When her chakra had first brushed over that of Sasori's she had no idea what she should do! He wasn't supposed to be here! She couldn't run headlong into him because of her team. There was no way that they would be prepared for an enemy like Sasori. "Damn... Why here? Why now?" She muttered under her breath. His chakra was stationary, and directly in front of them on their path. So he was waiting for her? This changed the entire way the mission would play out. It wasn't favorable but she knew exactly what she had to do. Her hand shot into her kunai pouch and pulled out the special three pronged kunai Minato had given her. She quickly handed it to Rin who took it with much reluctance.

"Shishou what are you giving this to me for? What's going on?" Rin clutched the heavy kunai against her chest. Her voice quivered with fear of what could possibly have her Shishou so worried. Why had she given her this kunai?

She looked over the three teens with barely concealed fear. There was never any point in being dishonest with them so she decided to be truthful. "Up ahead of us is a very dangerous enemy." She almost wanted to chuckle at putting it so lightly. Maybe she should just be thankful that he didn't have the third Kazekage yet... 'But he still has his secret red move Mastery of one hundred puppets technique... Not to mention he had turned himself into a puppet by this time...' Inner reminded her. Yes she hadn't forgotten about that either... Her internal musing was interrupted by Obito who had started shaking her by the shoulders to get her attention. Her ears chose that moment to switch back on and her ears were instantly assaulted by his loud voice.

"WHO IS IT ALREADY SAKURA SENSEI?! WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?! WHY AREN'T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?!" He shouted at the pinkette who had not acknowledged him. When her eyes did snap up and meet his he almost stumbled at the amount of fear being directed towards him. He finally released her and and stepped back when she had pulled herself together.

"Sasori of the red sand..." Kakashi, Rin, and Obito's eyes widened in alarm. Good they had heard of him and knew how dangerous he was. Then they would understand that only she could face him. "Then you know that only I can face him." They looked like they wanted to argue but she cut them off before they could. "Here is what is going to happen. You three are going to split off and go take care of the Kannabi bridge, while I stay back and fight Sasori. If we just run around him he will still pursue us so I need to deal with him now."

"But why does he want you Shishou? Did you do something to make him angry at you?" Rin cursed her voice for quivering with fear but she couldn't help it. Her Shishou was going to fight a dangerous missing ninja and there was nothing that she or her teammates could do to help her. But she still didn't want to leave her in spite of the danger, and she could tell that her teammates felt the same way. "Maybe we can help! If we-!" Sakura snapped at her cutting her off before she could say anymore.

"You three would only be in the way! Sasori is an S class criminal and is wanted in all five nations! You three would not even be a decent distraction for him!" Her tone was biting and curt but she didn't have time for them to question her! She couldn't afford to waste time when Sasori could be upon them in moments if he wanted to! "You are going to do exactly as I say! Do you understand me?!" After a moment they all nodded albeit reluctantly. "Good! Now after we split up I want Kakashi to take over position as team captain. Once you leave me behind you are responsible for each other so don't disappoint me! Remember that no one gets left behind!" Again they all nodded at her and she hoped that she had made the right choice in trusting them. Not that she had a choice in this mission... "Alright! We move together until we reach Sasori, then you three sneak around him and press forward without me." Eyes hardening she made to move forward but Rin's voice stopped her.

"Shishou why did you give me this kunai? I think that you need it more than I do." Rin held out the kunai for her Shishou to take but she didn't. Instead Sakura came towards her and shoved the kunai into her hand more firmly.

"No I don't Rin. But I want you to have it in case you three get into trouble. This way Minato can get to you in case something goes wrong with your mission." The brunette looked like she wanted to argue but once again Sakura cut her off. "I will be fine Rin. Trust in me and I will come back to all of you safe and sound." She smiled and patted the girl on the head. If they trusted her she would succeed, she had to. "Now let's move!" With that she turned on her heel and took off in Sasori's direction. Deep inside she was actually excited at the prospect of fighting him on her own. No Chiyo to help her... This time she would kill him completely with her own strength. It was Rin and Obito that she was worried about... Would they make it in one piece without her?

* * *

Four pairs of eyes peaked through the foliage at the hunched over form of Sasori's specialty puppet Hiruko. "What is that?" Obito asked sounding extremely nervous. That thing had a freaking giant jointed sword for a tail! Sakura spoke in a low voice and he turned to her along with his teammates.

"That is Sasori's specialty puppet Hiruko." He looked different than she had last remembered... His arms were less bulky than they were in her last fight with him. Less weapons, and mechanisms in him this time around. Hopefully that would work to her favor. "Ok you three move around him as soon as I engage him! Keep quiet and move fast! If you run into any enemies work together to defeat them!" She didn't wait for them to answer her before she lurched down to stand in front of Sasori. She kept her posture loose and unassuming because she wanted to seem unconcerned with his presence. "Sasori of the red sand huh? What brings you all the way out here?" Her voice was calm and collected, almost sounding disinterested. She hoped that he was just as brash and quick to strike as he was when she had fought him, and he did not disappoint her when without a word he had flash stepped forward and lashed out with Hiruko's tail. She quickly sidestepped and brushed her hand against the tail to attach a chakra string before they disentangled. "A little quick to strike aren't you?" She mocked while she tracked her teammates chakra signatures as they darted around the clearing and into the forest. Good they had listened to her. Now she could settle an old score. She turned her attention back to Sasori when he started talking to her.

"Sakura Uzumaki... Or should I say Haruno?" Sasori spoke from inside his puppet. So this was the woman who had killed Orochimaru all by herself huh? He had heard about her abilities from Leader and it was no surprise that he wanted her. Still this was personal to him, she had murdered his partner after all. He manipulated Hiruko's hand to come up and tear the cloth covering his mouth away before he launched a shower of senbon at the pink haired kunoichi.

Sakura's hand shot down and retrieved a kunai from her pouch to help her fend off the senbon that were flying towards her before she quickly began dodging them. She twisted and flipped in midair her kunai slashing out to knock any senbon out of the way when she couldn't dodge them directly. The shower of senbon continued for another thirty seconds while she twisted and dodged every single one perfectly. She couldn't afford to be hit by any of them in case he was using his special poison. That concoction was nasty and she had not thought that she would run into him so she did not bring any antidote for it. Her body dropped to the ground just as the shower of senbon let up and she stood before him in perfect condition. She was not the same little chunin that needed help anymore. No she was a war veteran who could stand on her own two feet without any help when faced with a powerful enemy. There was barely time to think before Hiruko's mouth dropped open again and another shower of senbon was fired in her direction. She smirked to herself, same old Sasori...

* * *

(Rin, Kakashi, and Obito POVS)

Kakashi flew through the trees with his teammates close behind him. He was worried about leaving Sakura behind to face such a strong enemy all by herself. But he also knew that they had to accomplish their mission no matter what. She had trusted them to get it done without her and that was what he would focus on, completing their mission without losing either of his teammates. He immediately halted at the edge of a clearing when he felt three chakra signatures stationed around the clearing in ambush positions. "Wait!" His teammates stopped moving instantly and watched him wearily. "Three enemy ninja in ambush positions..." Rin moved up next to him and Obito came up on his other side.

"What do you want us to do? Do you think we can sneak past them?" Rin turned to Kakashi who was deep in thought. The thought of actually fighting another ninja for real was actually frightening to her... She cursed herself for thinking that way because Sakura had trained her to be stronger than that but she couldn't help it! Obito seemed to notice her fears because he immediately came to her side and placed a warm hand on her back.

"Don't worry Rin you got this! And even if you end up needing help, Kakashi, and I got your back!" Obito looked over to his grey haired teammate who just nodded at their female teammate. "See? So there's nothing to worry about Rin." He looked back at Kakashi expectantly after he had pacified Rin. "Well? What are your orders captain?" He resisted the urge to mock salute just to annoy his teammate further.

He didn't think they could sneak past without one of their enemies catching on. No their positions allowed them to have a good view of the entire area so even if they masked their chakra they would most likely be spotted. "We move in and take them out one at a time. Stay quiet and stick to my lead." With that he flash stepped around the clearing and towards the closest chakra signature. A tall muscular man with a bandana style headband and dark brown hair became visible through the trees. He was gruff looking and Kakashi could tell that he was a high ranking ninja. Better to get it over quick! His hand slid to his tanto and removed it from his sheath without making a sound. He gestured to Rin, and Obito to stay back before he lurched down and struck the man through the back with his tanto. Blood spurted from the fatal wound before Kakashi disengaged and jumped back into the trees where his teammates were hiding. The man's body hit the ground his blood staining it red and a second later a man with spiky brown hair appeared in front of them and struck out at Kakashi with blinding speed.

"KAKASHI!" Rin yelled when her teammate was knocked from the tree, the man following right after him. The two quickly engaged in a furious taijutsu battle while she and Obito watched on for any opening. A presence crept up behind her and she barely dodged a sword that would have impaled her heart. She could hear Obito yelling for her but she concentrated on watching the man in front of her. He had blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail on top of his head, and one at the nape of his neck. His eyes were narrow and the irises were black. His finger twitched a second before he lashed out at her with his sword. She dodged his attack and flash stepped around him gathering chakra into her fist she slammed it into his back. His body exploded in a poof of smoke and her eyes widened. "Shadow clones?" Her eyes shot over to Obito who had been engaged by at least a dozen shadow clones and she lurched down to his aid. Gathering chakra into her fist she slammed it into the ground quickly dispersing all of the shadow clones from the impact. She quickly ran to Obito's side and stood back to back with him. Several more shadow clones popped up in front of them and she quickly braced herself. As the clones closed in on them she focused chakra into her fists in preparation for an attack a second before a blast of fire shot off behind her.

"Fire style: Fire ball jutsu!" Obito yelled before he blew a giant fireball from his mouth at the dozen or so clones that were closing in on them. His jutsu impacted them and they immediately disappeared in multiple poofs of smoke. "Ha! You need to step up your game you idiot!" He called out to wherever their enemy was actually hiding. The ground shook behind him and he turned to see Rin dispatching the rest of the shadow clones by shattering the ground. He quickly spun around and sought out his other teammate to see him locked in combat with the brown haired ninja on the opposite side of the clearing. He darted forward and performed the hand signs for another fireball jutsu and quickly fired it off to distract Kakashi's opponent. It worked and the enemy ninja disengaged from Kakashi and jumped back across the clearing. Kakashi turned and moved towards him but he froze in his spot his eyes widening in horror. "What the?!" Obito spun around and immediately saw what had caused his teammate to freeze. "RIN!" He screamed when he saw the blonde ninja appear behind her. He ran towards her but it seemed like he was moving in slow motion. The blonde ninja raised his hand chakra surrounding it before he struck out at Rin's neck. The ninja's hand collided with Rin's neck and her eyes widened before she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Rin appeared behind the ninja with blue chakra surrounding her fist and she slammed her fist into the ninja's spine. His body jolted and flew forward and impacted a tree snapping it in half. "Two down!" She shouted triumphantly while she righted herself. She jumped over to her teammates who had turned to face the last enemy ninja. Their last enemy looked at them with a mixture of anger, and shock before he grunted and disappeared from their sight. Her senses pushed out in an effort to find the last ninja's chakra and she found it rapidly fleeing the scene.

"So he retreated once his teammates were killed." Kakashi echoed Rin's thoughts out loud. Well at least this was a good thing for his team. Now they could focus on getting their mission completed as quickly as possible. After that they would go back and support Sakura in case she needed it. "Let's get the mission completed." His teammates nodded in affirmation before the three darted off in the direction of the Kannabi bridge. He just hoped that Sakura could handle Sasori alright on her own...

* * *

(Sakura's POV)

Senbon littered the battlefield and Sakura knew that his traps were almost spent. And with her chakra string attached to Hiruko's tail she could lull him into attacking her at close range with it then disable it. She struck the last of the senbon away from her just as Sasori charged her with Hiruko's tail. She dashed forward and pulled her fingers back to tighten the chakra string attached to his tail to halt his attack. It brought him up short and she took the chance to gather chakra into her fist for an attack. Her fist slammed into the puppet and Hiruko flew apart in a flurry of crushed pieces and torn cloth. Through the haze of debris she could see Sasori jump away from his shattered puppet and land on the other side of the field. His smooth voice carried across the field his words the same ones he had spoken to her in her adolescence.

"Such big strength for such a little girl..." Sasori turned to face the pinkette who had just shattered his puppet into a million pieces. Maybe she was more impressive than he initially thought. When he killed her he was going to make her into one of his puppets... "It seems that I will have to take you seriously little girl. I haven't had a chance to use this puppet yet so I hope you enjoy seeing my true masterpiece..." His hands reached up and peeled away his cloak to reveal his puppet body. It had taken him years to figure out how to turn himself into a living puppet but he had done it. Now it was time to test himself out...

He looked the same as she remembered. Metal hose was wrapped around a gaping hole in his stomach, while two windmill blades were attached to his back. And she knew from experience that he had fire mechanisms, and water cannons in each hand. Too bad for him that she already knew his attack patterns form her last fight with him... Right on cue his hands raised up and flames shot out of them towards her. Her hands became a flurry of hand signs before she slammed her hand onto the ground. "Earth style: Earth Wall!" A wall of solid rock shot up from the ground to intercept the flames and she took the opportunity to meld into the earth below the battlefield. It would be harder for him to pinpoint her location underground, and he couldn't attack her with his flames. She used her chakra to tear through the earth towards the spot where she could feel his chakra. Once she was under him she burst from the ground and slammed her fist into his chin. Her intention was to grab his human heart and rip it from his chest but he quickly saw her intentions and threw out the spiked end of his metal hose. The spike impaled her side and tore through it right below her ribs on the left side. "Damn!" She cursed before she threw herself back. She had been so careful and he had still managed to impale her again! She reached into her pouch and pulled out a small vial of poison suppressor before she shoved the tip into her leg. She may not have had the antidote for the actual poison but she always carried poison suppressant to delay the effects whenever she was poisoned. Honestly she wasn't even sure that he had his weapons soaked in poison but better to be safe then sorry. She quickly focused healing chakra into her side to close the gaping wound so that she would not bleed to death. She barely had time to focus before the spike shot towards her again forcing her to dodge it once more. It impacted the ground behind her and she turned to see him using it as a grappling hook to close the distance between them at a rapid speed. His twin windmill blades came to life and started spinning rapidly. In a move that she knew he would not expect, she stepped back and grabbed a hold of the hose and stared pulling him to her faster. His blades whizzed by her face when she sidestepped him for a better attack angle. She pulled her fist back and slammed it into his torso sending him flying back. Her attack had the desired effect because the force that he was sent flying away from her with was enough to cause his metal hose to snap from his chest compartment. His body impacted a tree and crashed through it stirring up smoke.

Sasori thanked his luck that his body was incapable of feeling pain anymore, because if it was he would be in trouble. He quickly righted himself and stared across the field at the kunoichi who held up his attachment with a smug smirk. So she thought that she had beaten him? He smiled sadistically at the thought. The girl obviously didn't know who she was dealing with. "I guess you are more impressive than I originally thought... You should be honored that I am resorting to using my last resort move. Sasori's Red move Mastery of a hundred puppets." He used a chakra string to retrieve his summoning scroll from his back compartment and open it in front of him. His scroll popped open and he pushed chakra into it a satisfied smirk lighting up his features when his puppets flew out in a flurry of perfection. They floated before him weapons at the ready. "I can't believe that I had to resort to such measures for such a little girl... After this is over I am going to turn you into one of my puppets..."

"I don't think so Sasori! If anyone is going to walk away from this it's going to be me!" He chose that moment to lash out with his puppets, and she braced herself for the final stretch of their battle.

* * *

(Minato, Rin, Kakashi, and Obito's POVs)

He stared down at the dozen or so bodies that littered the ground in front of him. His side ached from where he had taken a rather nasty slash from a sword, but other than that he was fine. There was no reason to stay now that he had completed his mission so he activated his Thunder God technique and in a flash he was standing in front of... Rin? The Kannabi bridge was in ruins behind them but that was not at the forefront of his mind. "Where's Sakura?" He asked after seeing that his girlfriend was nowhere in sight. His team shared several uncertain looks and it had him instantly on edge. "Answer me! Where is Sakura?" He asked as calmly as he could. His senses stretched out in an attempt to locate her but she was too far away for him to sense.

Rin looked to Kakashi, and Obito uncertainly. Would their Sensei be mad that they had left Sakura even though she had ordered them to? She turned to her Sensei and saw that he was waiting for them to say something. "We ran into a man named Sasori of the red sand and Sakura ordered us to go on ahead and destroy the bridge without her." She immediately regretted listening to her Shishou at the look that crossed her Sensei's face. He looked absolutely terrified. Was Sasori really that strong?

She had stayed behind to fight Sasori? What was that woman thinking?! "Which way did you come from?" Rin pointed directly towards the east and he took off in that direction. He could feel his team behind him while he flew through the trees as fast as his injured side could take him. "Please be alright Sakura! Please wait for me to get there!" He grunted and pushed himself even faster. Akatsuki had made a move on her and he had not been there to protect her! His mind kept racing with thoughts that horrified him to no end. What if there was more of them and they had ganged up on her? What if she had been taken by them? What if she had died in the battle? He would never forgive himself if that happened! The sound of an explosion sounded somewhere relatively close and he picked up the pace even more. Closer! They were almost there! He could hear the sound of clanging metal and crumbling rock! He burst through the treeline and his eyes widened at what they saw.

* * *

(Sakura's POV)

She panted tiredly as her eyes roved over the ground that was littered with the remains of most of Sasori's puppets. There were only a dozen more but she was tiring from having to dodge all of Sasori's attacks. Not to mention that she had been hit with more then a few of his attacks, and she could feel the beginning symptoms of the poison. She guessed he had used it after all... Her body was littered with wounds of various shapes and sizes and she knew that her body would fail her if she didn't do something quick. "I guess I have no choice..." She raised her hands and formed the hand sign for her reserve seal release. The blue diamond lit up on her forehead as the rush of chakra flooded her body healing her wounds. It wouldn't neutralize the poison but at least she would be able to finish this fight. Sasori was never a patient man and before she had even moved an inch he had lashed out at her with his remaining puppets. She flew back and rapidly performed the hand signs for a fire style jutsu. "Fire style: Phoenix flower jutsu!" She cried out before a flurry of fireballs shot from her mouth. They collided with the puppets and exploded and she body flickered behind Sasori sword raised to impale his human heart. He spun around and shoved a sword through her stomach and she coughed up blood but did not stop her sword's descent. She shoved the sword through his human heart and his body instantly froze. "I guess you don't get to make a puppet out of me..." She panted blood spilling over her lips. She had deactivated her reserve seal release after she initially healed herself to conserve her yin seal's reserves so the pain was sharp and excruciating.

"How could I have lost to a little girl...? At least I will be preserved forever as a work of art..." With that his eyes turned black and he took his last breath.

She pulled away from him the sword still lodged in her stomach. Her mind didn't even register that Kurama's chakra was not helping her heal at all. Nor did she recognize the chakra signatures rapidly approaching her position.

* * *

(Normal POV)

Limbs and various body parts littered the ground in front of him but that didn't concern him at the moment. No what had him concerned was that fact that Sakura was standing in the midst of it all with a sword protruding from her stomach. "SAKURA!" He crossed the distance between them in a split second tossing the body of Sasori aside as he came to stand before her. "SAKURA WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU WERE TOLD NOT TO ENGAGE AKATSUKI UNLESS JIRAIYA OR MYSELF WERE WITH YOU!" He was screaming despite his best efforts to control himself Her head snapped up and his eyes clashed with her dull ones that lacked their usual spark.

She barely recognized Minato's bright hair, and beautiful blue eyes. Her adrenaline had worn off and now it was all she could do to stay conscious due to exhaustion, and the poison. Even so she still smiled at him despite all of that. "Minato you didn't need to come and rescue me..." She looked down at the sword sticking out of her stomach before she looked behind Minato to Rin. "Rin a little help...?" Her student rushed forward while Minato laid her on the ground.

Rin assessed her Shishou's wound with a critical eye. The wound ran all the way through Sakura's stomach and it was in a place that was very difficult to heal. "Shishou I don't have enough chakra to heal this... Should we-" Sakura cut her off with a wave of her hand.

"No it's fine Rin. I can just use my Creation Rebirth jutsu." It wasn't favorable to have to use it again. Maybe she should have just left it instead of deactivating it. Hopefully this wouldn't shed too many years off of her life... Her Yin seal glowed purple while black swirl patterns sprouted from the glowing purple diamond. Chakra rushed to her wound and healed it in seconds much to the awe of her teammates and Minato. "What you've never seen an S class medical ninjutsu before?" She panted out after the wound had healed and her chakra had receded. She deactivated her seal and sighed in relief. At least the gaping hole in her stomach was taken care of... "I don't mean to be rude but... If you don't get me back to Tsunade I am going to die from the poison..."

Minato cursed and swept Sakura into his arms. "Grab a hold of me so I can get us back to Konoha!" He commanded his team and they complied by grabbing a hold of him. In the blink of an eye he was back in Konoha's hospital which was rapidly becoming like a second home to him due to Sakura's reckless nature. He stormed up to the front desk and scared the hell out of the poor nurse behind the counter. She took one look at Sakura and and took off down the hall. A moment later she, and one other nurse returned with a gurney for him to lay Sakura on. He placed her down gently his hand lingering on hers until they wheeled her away from him. He turned back to his students and sighed. "Obito, Kakashi go and find Tsunade and bring her here." The two boys ran out of the hospital lobby as soon as he had given them the order. Rin made her way over to him and she pointed towards a chair. He got the hint and sat down so that she could heal the gash in his side. It was quiet for a moment while she healed him before she spoke up breaking the silence.

"Sensei why was Sasori after Sakura Shishou? She said that even if we snuck by him he would come after us again... He couldn't have been after us. But why was he after Sakura Shishou?" She hoped that she wasn't being too pushy but something had seemed off about their encounter with Sasori. Sakura had seemed certain that he was there for her. But try as she might Rin could not figure out why! Did he know something about her Shishou that she didn't? Minato Sensei didn't answer her for a moment and she figured that she had overstepped some sort of boundary. After a minute he finally spoke but as she expected he didn't tell her what she wanted to know.

"That is something for Sakura to tell you herself." He mumbled his attention split between the conversation and Sakura's wellbeing. Only Sakura had the right to tell them about her being a time traveler, and her jinchuuriki status. He would never break her trust by telling someone without her consent. Both of their heads snapped up when the doors to the hospital lobby were thrust open and Tsunade rushed in followed by Kagami, and finally Kakashi, and Obito. He watched Tsunade storm down the hall and out of sight before he looked towards Kagami as she came to their side.

"What happened?! Your boys told us that Sakura's life was in danger again! Damnit! Not even out of the village for twelve hours and she's rushed into the hospital again!" Kagami cursed before she plopped into a chair beside Minato. "Minato what happened to her?" She turned to the blonde who was slumped in his chair and he uttered one word that made her blood freeze.

"Akatsuki."

Her mouth dropped open and her breathing became shallow. "So they finally made a move..." It was not a question but a statement. She had known that it was only a matter of time but... She didn't want to believe that Sakura was fated to never leave the village without facing death! But how could she think otherwise? Every time her granddaughter left the village she came back half dead! "Thank god that you were there to save her..." Her eyes locked with Minato's conveying her gratitude. He had saved her Sakura again and for that she was once again in his debt.

Minato shook his head and turned away from the redhead. "All I did was bring her back here. Sakura defeated Sasori all on her own..." Despite her state he was proud of how strong his girlfriend was. She had defeated not one, but two members of Akatsuki on her own. Orochimaru still counted even if he had ulterior motives for attacking her. Before Kagami could say anything Tsunade appeared from the hallway and came towards them. "How is she? Is she going to be alright?" He actually shot from his chair in eagerness. That earned him a whack in the head from Tsunade who was obviously not amused with him right now.

"She's going to be fine! Luckily the poison used is in our system so we had an antidote on hand for it. If it wasn't for that then we would've been hard pressed to concoct an antidote in time." She crossed her arms over her chest and gestured down the hall with a shake of her head. "She's awake if you want to see her." As expected everyone shot past her and down the hallway without even waiting for her to tell them the room number. She sighed and turned to make her way to her office. "Idiots..." She muttered before she closed the door after her.

* * *

Sakura jolted when her door was thrown open and her grandma darted in, Minato, and the rest of team seven right behind her. The antidote was working but she was still feeling numb and sluggish so it didn't really register when her grandma jumped on her bed and threw her arms around her.

"Oh Sakura I was so worried about you! You silly reckless girl!" Kagami sobbed into her granddaughter's shoulder. Sakura's arms came up and wrapped around her to return her embrace. "Oh Sakura if I had lost you... I don't know what I would do!"

"I'm sorry that I worried you grandma... I seem to worry you all a lot..." Sakura looked around the room to all the concerned faces of her teammates. Even if she had worried them, she couldn't bring herself to regret it because she had taken another step in the right direction by defeating Sasori. Now Akatsuki was one member shorter and Madara would have one less weapon to use against her. And soon he would be dead and after she was finished there would be no one left to resurrect him. She was making progress and good progress at that. So she would never stop no matter the cost to herself, no matter the pain. She would keep going if only to see the people she loved most smiling forever.

* * *

Hey did you guys like this chapter? What did you think of my twist on the Kannabi bridge mission? R&R and let me know!


	27. Chapter 27

Hey guys I'm happy you liked the last chapter! I wasn't sure if you would like the twist I put in the mission but I wanted to do it that way anyways! Well things are only going to get more complicated in the story from here on out! Hope you are all looking forward to it! Oh and a request for anyone that wants to take it on! I would like yo know if anyone would be willing to draw some kind of cover with Minato, and Sakura for my profile! I would but I'm artistically retarded... Anyways if anyone wants to message me nad let me know that would be great! Anyways on with the chapter! I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! DRAMA, FLUFF, FILLERS, AND RANDOM FUN AHEAD!

* * *

Tsunade pushed Sakura's release forms across the counter towards Minato. "Have her sign this form and then you can take her home. I want her to take it easy for a few days. I am trusting you to watch her and make sure that she doesn't strain herself." She sighed after he had taken the forms. Her apprentice from the future was sure turning out to be a handful...

"Of course I will watch her Tsunade! I know how Sakura can be and she won't relax unless I make her. But I promise you that you can count on me!" He smiled to the female Sannin before he turned to walk down the hall to Sakura's room. Tsunade didn't even have to ask him to watch out for Sakura, he already planned on being within seeing distance to her for the next few days. He walked up to Sakura's door and pushed it open to see her holding onto the nightstand to steady herself. "Sakura! Tsunade told you to take it easy for the next few days!" He scolded her while he went to her side to help her stand. She didn't fight his help and he was grateful for that even if she still looked irritated about it.

It felt shameful to have to rely on someone to help her stand after she had defeated two members of Akatsuki on her own. But it was not like she could help it after having used her Creation Rebirth technique. That jutsu could knock someone on their ass for days at least after it was used. "I'm not a helpless damsel Minato..." She muttered in an attempt to save her pride. He was always having to help her and it made her feel weak and pathetic like she did in her genin days. He helped her to sit on the bed before he retrieved an outfit that he had brought from home for her to change into. It wasn't like she could change into it on her own right now so it was no surprise when he moved to help her stand so that he could dress her.

He could tell that she was highly irritated with him having to dress her. Not that he was bothered in the least by it... He helped her slip off her hospital gown and it polled at her feet before he kicked it away. He quickly dressed her into a red t-shirt, and white shorts that he had brought for her. "There all done! Now just sign the release forms and I can take you home." He sat the forms on the nightstand for her to sign while he waited. She scribbled down her signature before she hastily shoved the forms back into his hands. "Someone sure is in a bad mood today..." He smiled cheekily in an attempt to cheer her up. Even if she was in a less than happy mood he was ecstatic that she had recovered from the poison so quickly.

Honestly she didn't even know what had her in such a bad mood today... Well besides the fact that she had been trapped in the hospital overnight again! She just hated being a patient when she should be the one doing the treating! But that was still no excuse for her to be so cross with Minato after all he had done for her. Her eyes fell from his face and glued themselves to the floor. "Sorry for being so bitchy Minato... I just hate being in the hospital when I should be the one saving lives." His hand snaked under her chin and lifted it so that she had a clear view of his beautiful ocean blue eyes.

"You don't have to apologize Sakura. I understand your frustration at being in the hospital so much so don't worry about it." He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, once, twice, and three times before he finally pulled away to pick her up. She shot him a scathing look for his sudden move and he smirked down at her before he carried her out the door and to the lobby. He approached the desk and shifted her in his arms so that he could hand the secretary the release forms. Now all he had to do was keep Sakura from straining herself for the next few days! Easy right?

* * *

Turns out it was anything but easy! Every time he turned his back Sakura was up and trying to do things on her own. He had caught her trying to cook lunch for herself within ten minutes of being home. She had even lost her strength and almost faceplanted into the hot skillet, and she would have if he had not caught her. He had set her back in bed and had left to get her something to eat but by the time he had come into the room with her tray she was nowhere in sight. "Now where is she?" He sat the tray down on the table and made his way into the hallway. "Sakura? You're supposed to be in bed!" His voice reverberated through the otherwise empty apartment. His head shot around towards the laundry room when he heard a loud bang followed by a muffled curse. What the hell could she be doing in the laundry room? His feet were carrying him down the hall before he had even had a second to think about it. There she was sitting on the floor propped up against the dryer with a pile of clothes in her lap. "Sakura what are you doing?! What part of relax do you not understand?" He crossed the distance between them and took the clothes from her before tossing them back into the dryer. She crossed her arms and pouted after he had picked her up to take her back to the bedroom. For the second time in the last hour he put her back into bed and tucked the blankets around her before he retrieved her food from the nightstand. Admittedly he wasn't as good of a cook as Sakura but he did not expect her to blatantly refuse to eat his cooking. Everytime he brought the chopsticks to her mouth she closed her mouth and refused to open it, and it was really grating on his nerves. "Sakura you need to eat your food. Why are you being so stubborn?!" He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose with his other hand. Why did she have to make everything so hard? Her soft voice cut through the silence her response being what he had expected.

"I can feed myself Minato... I'm just tired from using my Creation Rebirth jutsu. I'm not hurt in anyway so I can do things for myself." She huffed indignantly. Even if her body was severely weakened she still wanted to do basic things for herself. Otherwise she would just feel like a burden to Minato and everyone else. He just didn't understand how she felt, always being the damsel in distress. Always needing to be rescued. Never being acknowledged for her skills... Being the way she used to be before the war... She didn't ever want to look that weak again, especially in front of him. So she forced her body to sit up so that she cold take the tray and chopsticks from him. "See? I can do it for myself!" She forced aside her self deprecating thoughts and focused on the meal of vegetable stir fry, and white rice he had made for her. She grabbed a piece of asparagus in between her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth and popped it inside. "Mmmm this is actually pretty good! I might have to make you cook sometimes!"

He watched her avoid looking at him while she ate. Was she really that upset that he had to take care of her? He knew that Sakura was a woman who prided herself on not looking weak in front of anyone but she shouldn't be ashamed to be vulnerable in front of him. She wouldn't even let him help her when that's all he wanted to do... And she kept trying to do things inspite of her body's weak state. He couldn't just let this continue forever. "Sakura why won't you ever let me help you when you need it? Don't you know that I love you and want to help you whenever you need it? I just don't understand you when it comes to this."

She immediately stopped eating and turned to face him. It wasn't just pride, it was a need to feel that she was worth something. Would he be able to understand her feelings if she explained it to him? No probably not... He was the legendary Yellow Flash... He was a prodigy who had probably never been useless in his entire career. But honestly was an important part of any relationship and she had to learn to trust him with all of her past. "When I was a genin I was absolutely useless... I always had to be saved by my teammates when I got into a tight spot. I always hated that... Having to be rescued all of the time... Having to watch my teammates grow stronger and stronger while I was left behind. I was a sorry excuse for a kunoichi... And without Tsunade's training I would have remained weak and useless like I was before she came along." If she had the opportunity to revisit her younger self she honestly would slap some sense into her to make her get her priorities straight. It was sad really, that it had taken Naruto failing to bring Sasuke back to make her really get serious about being a kunoichi. "I can't be weak anymore! I want to be someone that people can rely on. Someone that they can trust to protect them...even you..." She blushed and turned away not being used to being so vulnerable in front of him. Would he laugh at her for thinking that he needed to be protected? She felt him grab her chin and turn her face so that she was looking at him again.

"Sakura I have never seen you as being weak. No one in the village sees you that way after all you have done." He scooted closer to her on the bed and leaned his forehead against hers. Of course he had known a bit about her past before she had come here but he had not known that she was so self conscious about herself as a result. "Everyone has to start out somewhere Sakura. And everyone needs help sometimes...even me. So don't feel weak or vulnerable for needing help Sakura." He smiled reassuringly at her before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.

She pulled away and leaned against his shoulder. "Thank you Minato..." Maybe she could start letting him in when she was vulnerable. He had proven that he did not see her as a burden and that made her feel better than she ever had before. She pulled away and smirked mischieviously at the blonde. "So what time are you giving me a bath?" They both started laughing at that. It felt good to just let go and laugh with him. It was like old times before the war, and all the death, and loss. And as she sensed the three familiar chakra signatures approaching their apartment she knew that there was even more to be thankful for. He seemed to sense them too because he pulled away and sighed before he stood up from the bed and held a hand out to her. She took it and he helped her stand on wobbly legs.

"If we don't meet them out there than Obito will probably storm in here and glomp you through the bed." His blue eyes sparkled with amusement. He tugged her out of the door and to the living room just as the front door burst open.

"OBITO UCHIHA HAS ARRIVED!"

They shared a pointed look. "Obito..." They both sighed simultaneously.

* * *

Obito had insisted that they watch some weird movie that he had been wanting to watch called the Hangover. And by the end of the movie and Sakura, and Obito were laughing their asses off while everyone else looked appalled at what was happening on the screen.

"Oh my god he was freaking humping that tiger! That is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen!" Sakura wheezed out between loud boughts of laughter. Obito was sitting on her right his body leaned against her shoulder to steady himself while he laughed so hard tears came to his eyes.

"Yeah but did you hear the tiger song? That was genius! Oh man I wanna sing it!" He jumped off of the couch and proceeded to dance around the room doing just that. "What do tigers dream of when they take a little tiger snooze? Do they dream of mauling zebra? Or Hale Barry in her catwoman suit? Don't you worry your pretty striped head! We're gonna get you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed! And then we're gonna find our best friend Doug! And then we're gonna give him a best friend hug! DOUG! DOUG! DOUG! OOOH! DOUG! DOUGIE DOUGIE DOUG! And if he's been murdered by crystal meth tweakers... Well then we're shit outta luck!" (ALL RIGHTS TO THE SONG GO TO THE CREATORS OF THE HANGOVER! I TAKE NO RIGHTS TO THE SONG OR MOVIE!)

Rin turned to her Sensei and nudged his shoulder. "Uh Sensei... Maybe Obito shouldn't watch movies like this... It could corrupt his mind or something..." Minato Sensei just nodded in agreement and they both turned back to watch Obito dance around the room before Kakashi whacked him over the head. Hard. His body flew forward and impacted the floor causing the whole room to shake.

"Kakashi! Was that really necesary?" Sakura scolded Kakashi who just shrugged at her. Honestly these two would never learn... She turned back to Obito who had finally peeled himself from the floor and was glaring at Kakashi. "So what else do you guys wanna do? I'm pretty much on house arrest until I regain my strength so I'm up for another movie, or some games or something." Before anyone could say anything Rin had spoke up and all eyes shot over to her.

"Actually Shishou I wanted to ask you something before I get sidetracked again." Sakura gestured for her to continue so she looked her dead in the eye. "About that jutsu you used to heal yourself after your fight with Sasori... How does it work? I mean I have been studying medical ninjutsu for a few years and I have never seen anything like it." Now all eyes were trained on Sakura who fidgeted in her spot on the couch.

And she had counted her blessings too early... She had hoped to avoid the topic of that jutsu because she didn't want to make anyone worry about her... "The creation rebirth jutsu utilizes a large store of chakra that is stored in the yin seal on the forehead to create new cells in the body. The cells divide at an astonishing rate and rush to any afflicted areas and heal them instantly. So someone who uses this jutsu can be stabbed in the heart, or even the head and it will just heal instantly. It's like having the ability to reincarnate yourself." That was a pretty advanced rundown of the jutsu but she knew that Rin, and Minato would be able to understand her. The brunette looked at her in awe and she almost grimaced at the yearning in Rin's eyes.

"Could you teach me that jutsu?" If she had that jutsu in her arsenal then she could be of much more use to her team! Her hope died in a second when her Shishou shook her head. "Why? Do you not think I can master it...?" Did her Shishou really think that lowly of her abilities?

And now she had to delve into the effects of the jutsu which she had hoped to avoid altogether... She just prayed that no one would lose it after she explained it to them. "It isn't that I don't think you can master it Rin. It's just that this jutsu is like a double edged sword... You see, your body can only create new cells a limited number of times. If you speed that up..." She looked up and locked eyes with Rin and said in a deadly serious tone. "You shorten your life."

It was like time had stopped for him when she had said that. He had just figured that the exhaustion was the only effect of the jutsu but to hear that she had shortened her life by using it? "By how much? How much time did we just lose Sakura?!" He could hear his voice quivering in his ears. How much time had she lost in the two times he had seen her use the jutsu? She wouldn't look at him and he just couldn't stand it. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him.

He had a death grip on her that she had no hope of escaping from. She had known that he wouldn't like it but... "It could be anywhere from minutes, hours, days, even years... There really isn't a way to be sure... But I am an Uzumaki so I do have a strengthened life force that could've helped cut the time down." He didn't look the least bit pacified by what she had said. How could he? If he had been in a similar situation and had said the same thing to her then she would've acted the same way. "This is why I didn't even want to say anything... I knew you'd be angry..."

"I'm not angry at you Sakura... I just wish I had been there so that you didn't have to use it... I feel responsible for the time we both lost... If I had been there to protect you then this wouldn't have happened..." Guilt overwhelmed him but she grabbed his chin and forced him to keep looking at her.

"YOU are not responsible for the choices that I make! And might I remind you that life is fleeting for most ninja? This shaved a few years at most and it's not like I use it everyday Minato! So stop worrying about it and let's do something fun to take our minds off of everything!" With that she gave his cheeks one last pinch before she turned to face Obito. "So Obito what's next?" What he said next caused her and Rin to blush, and almost got him killed by Minato.

"STRIP POKER!" BAM! That was the sound of his face colliding with the floor after Minato Sensei had whacked him over the back of the head. He whined while he peeled his face from the floor. "What was that for?!" He rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head while he glared at his Sensei.

Minato scowled down at his student with a look of incredulity. "THAT was for suggesting that we play strip poker with my girlfriend, and Rin! Have you learned nothing Obito?!" He shook his head down at the Uchiha who was still glaring at him. He turned over towards Sakura, and Rin and raised an eyebrow at the two who were giggling at Obito's stupidity. Seriously did they expect anything different from him?

"Idiot... And to think that you even graduated from the academy..." Kakashi muttered sweatdropping at his friend's stupidity. That earned him a heated glare from the Uchiha which he returned just as heatedly. "What? It shouldn't bother you if it isn't true." He goaded the other boy. That didn't settle well with Obito and in a blink he had lunged at Kakashi and the two had started to wrestle around on the floor.

Minato, Sakura, and Rin watched on in open amusement before Sakura finally had had enough. She stood abruptly and moved forward at frightening speed to whack the two over the head. "Obito's idiocy has rubbed off on you Kakashi!" She cooed getting heated looks from the two boys. They immediately pointed at each other and said simultaneously.

"I'M NOT LIKE THAT BASTARD!" Immediately after they turned and glared even more heatedly at each other. "YOU'RE THE IDIOT!" They shouted at each other once again at the same time. "STOP SAYING WHAT I SAY!" Both of their faces flushed bright red in anger and Sakura had to grab each of them by the scruff of their shirts to stop them from lunging at each other.

"Alright that's enough! I'm not feeling great today so this is really grating on my nerves! Take the fight somewhere else if you can't stop!" She cursed herself for even getting up from her seat in the first place because now her body was beginning to feel shaky. The poison really had taken its toll on her even in its unperfected state. She released both boys and stumbled back over to the couch plopping onto it rather ungraciously. Everyone immediately took notice of her suddenly exhausted demeanor and Minato moved to let her lean against him.

"You shouldn't be pushing yourself so soon. Just relax for the day and regain your strength." With that he turned and leveled his two male students with a menacing look. "Sakura's right! If you can't behave then go fight somewhere else! I won't have anyone stressing her out today!" The two boys immediately sulked at his less than pleased attitude towards them.

"Sorry Sakura Sensei..." They both muttered while refusing to look at her. When she said nothing to their apology they immediately looked over to her to see that she had seemingly passed out against Minato's chest.

"That poison must have been really nasty stuff..." Obito stated solemnly while he gazed at his pink haired Sensei.

Minato gathered the sleeping woman into his arms and made his way from the living room to their bedroom to settle her back into bed. After tucking the blankets around her and making sure that she was comfortable he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her parted lips before he pulled away. He would let her sleep until dinner. Hopefully she would be feeling more rested by then.

* * *

Bright green eyes peeked out from slightly parted lashes. Darkness filled her eyes while she struggled to take in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was Obito, and Kakashi fighting with each other. Then she put an end to it before her body suddenly felt weak. 'We fainted from exhaustion.' Inner piped up her voice barely registering for a moment in Sakura's fuzzy mind. Yes that must have been what happened because she remembered leaning against Minato and then nothing. She wanted nothing more then to curse at her body for succumbing to the Creation Rebirth jutsus after effects so easily. There was no helping it though. Even Tsunade got knocked on her ass everytime she had to use it and she invented it! With a groan she struggled to push herself into a sitting position all the while wondering where Minato was. Surely he was around somewhere... She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. Her legs shook as did the rest of her body but she pushed it all aside in favor of finding her blonde lover. She stumbled into the hallway and held onto the wall for support while she made her way towards the kitchen. She passed the empty living room and finally stumbled into the kitchen. No one... There was no one in the kitchen either. It didn't seem like something Minato would do, leaving her alone in such a weakened state. Maybe he had gotten called out for a mission? The sound of the front door opening startled her causing her to lose her balance and trip over her own feet. Warm arms wrapped around her stopping her descent to the floor before her face made an unpleasant impact with it. Wide green eyes shot up to lock with the familiar blue ones of her boyfriend.

"Sakura you shouldn't be up and about so soon. What if I hadn't been here to catch you before you smashed your face into the floor?" He laughed at the disgruntled look that she shot him while he moved her into one of the kitchen chairs.

"It's not funny..." She huffed once he had settled her into her seat. Once he had done that he retrieved a paper bag that he had apparently dropped to the floor in his haste to get to her. "Where did everyone go?" She asked as he pulled out two plastic containers with food in them.

"I kicked them all out so that we could talk." He watched as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at that. He just hoped that she would understand what he had to say and not argue with him. With that thought in mind he finally took his seat next to her. She was watching him wearily and he had a feeling that she had an idea of what he wanted to talk to her about. Well if she did then there was no sense in getting worked up over it, might as well just say it. "I want you to promise me that you won't use the Creation Rebirth jutsu again."

His request caused her to spit out the food she was chewing all over the table. Was he serious? Did he really expect her not to use it in a life or death situation? "I can't promise you that Minato and you know it!" She spat out with a heated glare in his direction. He opened his mouth to protest but she was not having that. "Would you rather me die instead?" At his pained look she continued on her words curt and to the point. "Because the only time I ever use that jutsu is when it is life or death! It's not like I use it with no regard for what it does to me! I know the limits, and effects of the jutsu and I use it accordingly. So it is selfish on your part to request for me not to use it! To me it's like you're saying that you would rather me die then use it to save myself!"

He hadn't meant it like that in the least but he should have known that Sakura would take it that way. When she said it that way even he could see how bad it sounded. "That isn't what I meant Sakura! I meant that I would always be with you to protect you from now on so I don't want you to use it because I will always be there to protect you!" His voice was raised in agitation even though he tried to real it in.

"You can't always be there for me Minato! What about when you become Hokage and can't leave the village? What then? Would you have me refrain from using it then? Or would you never let me take missions worth my time for fear that I would need to use it?" She spat out angrily. When he had asked to talk she had never expected this from him. Though looking back at all of their memories together she should have figured it would happen sooner or later. "A shinobi's life is fleeting Minato... This jutsu may be a short term solution to death at the cost of the loss of life force, but it does preserve me! With this jutsu I can live to fight another day regardless of the after effects! And it's not like I have a regular life force anyways! I'm an Uzumaki and that means that I will probably outlive everyone we know!" She didn't even care at this poit whether he liked what she had to say or not! If he loved her then he would just deal with it because her mind was made up. She looked over and locked eyes with him once more. "This is one thing that I can't promise you Minato... Please understand."

Her pleading words finally tore through his resolve along with her logic. But even if he was willing to accept it, he was still going to protect her to the best of his abilities whether she liked it or not. "I don't like it Sakura... But I guess I have no choice in the matter... But that doesn't mean that I won't be around to protect you whenever I can."

"I never expected anything less from you Minato. As long as you understand my side then that is all I can ask for." Her hard expression softened and she gave him a small smile before turning back to her food ending the conversation. They ate in silence for several moments before the sound of Minato clearing his throat caused her to look up at him in question.

"Are you feeling a little better then?" He asked quietly. At her slow nod to his question he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Then what would you say to going out on a date with me tomorrow?"

Her eyes narrowed at his odd behavior that she for the life of her could not figure out. Intuition told her that now was not the right time to ask about it so she just nodded her head slowly. "Sure that sounds good..." She trailed off uncertainly. What could have Minato so on edge about a simple date?

He smiled and turned back to his meal gathering his thoughts as he did so. Now all he had to do was not let on what he was up to... Thankfully he had enlisted his team to help him out with this little task. "Sakura you better be prepared for what I have in store for you..." He thought to himself while he eyed her from the corner of his eye. Tomorrow would be a big day indeed...

* * *

Whooo! Sorry for the long time it took for me to update! Lots of stuff going on for me right now so I will try to get the next one out sooner! Well R&R and let me know what you think!


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